Oregairu:Zero
by blank-san
Summary: Yukinoshita Yukino is saved by a boy in her greatest hour of need. Circumstances break them apart, but his ideals are left deeply imprinted and Yukinoshita vows to save all those who need help. However, by chance or fate, they meet again years later, yet she can't help but feel that the apathetic boy before her is only an insult to the hero who saved her so many years ago.
1. Chapter 0

**Chapter 0: Prologue**

* * *

As I walked up to my shoe locker, I could see several girls from my class in the corner of my vision. Though they hid behind another one of the many lockers that lined the entrance to our school, their snickering ruined any attempt they had made to hide. A sinking feeling filled my stomach. They acted nice when around Hayato-kun, but without him…

I could feel my body stiffen up as I reached my locker. Like Schrodinger's cat, there was no way to confirm the state of my locker without first opening it up and observing yet. Normally, one would naturally assume that shoes would be inside. After all, it was a shoe locker. Yet my arms stayed locked by my sides, hesitant to discover the truth inside. However, I understood that whatever was within my locker would not change no matter how long I stood here.

I exhaled a large sigh, unaware up until that moment that I had been holding my breath. As if forcing out the anxiety I felt with that sigh, I took in another breath, this time hoping to calm myself, if at the very least, only in appearance. Though I did little to oppose them, I didn't want to give those girls any more satisfaction then they already had. Slowly, I lifted my arm to the height of my locker and taking the handle, I pulled it open.

Gazing inside, I found my latest pair of white indoor shoes that students typically wore around school filled to the brim with dirt and weeds. A fresh coat of graffiti adorned the inside of the small cubby assigned to me, covering up the faded remnants of the previous scribblings. It was the typical various messages I had grown so used to seeing, though no less affected by—insults like, "Ugly!", or messages like, "Stop dragging down Hayato-kun," were a few of the tamer ones I had received this time around.

A weight settled itself heavily onto my chest and I could feel my breathing speeding up with every passing second. I couldn't remove my eyes from my locker, partly from shock and partly from embarrassment. I could hear the girls laughing from behind the corner of the lockers without a care as they realized I had discovered their handiwork within my locker, and I was especially glad right now that their cowardice meant they wouldn't face me directly. At the very least, they wouldn't get the joy of seeing my face as well.

A tear trailed its way down my cheek and I desperately focused to stop anymore from spilling out. I chocked back a sob that tried to escape my throat, a small whimper making its way out instead. Yet, like a dam with a leak, after the first drop spilled out, it was nearly impossible to stop the rest.

"You, bitches," a cold voice abruptly rang out. The blunt _rudeness_ of a new voice gave me something else to focus on and I managed to stifle down my tears, though I could feel them teetering on the edge. Evidently, those girls weren't expecting this either as they were shocked silent by this sudden appearance, though they had begun whispering to one another in a low tone.

One stepped forward, the leader of those girls, to confront the newcomer. Angelica was popular with the rest of the class, both the boys and the girls, often being the leading voice of things. She was the one that acted nice towards me when I first showed up, and she was the one that lead the other girls in doing things behind my back.

"Hah? It's just Hikifroggy-kun. What did you just call me? You might have the top grades in our class, but who do you think you are acting so tough? You're just some _nerd_." With a sneer, she placed her hand on her hip, assuming her usual intimidation pose she had so often begun using on me as of late. The girls in the group went from giggling again, with Angelica having taken reins over the sudden and unexpected appearance.

"Tch-"

Once more, and with a simple scoff no less, the mysterious newcomer managed to shut those girls up.

"I wouldn't so high and mighty if I were you, Angelica. You see, I happened to see something interesting earlier, mainly, you and your lackeys over there messing around with that locker, so of course, I recorded it on this," he said, pulling out a small device. It was smaller than a camera, but he said he recorded something so it was most likely a phone. I didn't have one myself, but it wasn't unusual for students of our school to own one, considering our circumstances.

"So…?" Angelica questioned. She tried to maintain her haughty air, but her voice lacked the confidence it held earlier. Behind her, I could see that the other girls were much less composed, ruining their pack image.

"I drop such a big hint and you still don't get it? Are you really that big of an idiot? I'm surprised they let you into this school," he taunted. Waving his phone around to catch their attention, he continued. "What I'm saying is, it would be a real shame if I had to show this to a teacher. At the least, you'd have to go through several, painful, parent-teacher conferences, and worst case, I could get you expelled for your serious harassment of our poor classmate over there," he stated with a chuckle, as if he were talking about something humorous he had seen on television the other day.

"Whichever way it ends up for you, it'll entertain me." The humor dropped from his voice, baring forth an oppressive intensity. "So what'll it be, Angelica? How shall you entertain me?"

The girl that I had grown fearful of during my time here had been reduced to a trembling child. Apprehension showed on her expression and she no longer boasted the usual air of arrogance I had grown so accustomed to. I could clearly see through her last desperate attempt at maintaining some semblance of dignity, despite having been backed into a corner.

"Humph," she let out, turning towards the inner hallways. "Whatever, this was getting boring anyways." With one last bitter remark, she walked off towards the 6th year classrooms with the rest of her group following closely behind her.

Though the source of my problem had been dealt with for now, the problem itself still remained. I looked back at my locker and at the damage that had been done. With those girls gone, the strong urge to cry had once more forced its way up. No longer able hold them back, I sobbed, the tears flowing freely from my eyes. I realized how pathetic I must have seemed, sobbing like a child out in the open for everyone to see, but that only made it harder to hold back the tears.

"Oi, oi, don't cry…" begged the boy that drove them off. I had forgotten he was still here and the thought that despite how he had gone out of his way to help me, I had still given up, made me feel even worse. I could hear him sighing, in what I could only imagine to be annoyance. To my surprise though, he took my hand and helped me to sit down on the small wooden steps that lined the lockers. Even more shocking was the fact that he hugged my head to his chest and began stroking the back of my head, much like one would pet an animal.

Looking back upon it, it was a really embarrassing scene, wasn't it? Yet despite the fact that I was being comforted by a boy I had never met before, it was oddly soothing. I felt at ease in his warm embrace. I was a crying mess, but the petting of my head felt nice and helped in calming my chaotic emotions.

"Yosh, yosh. If you're going to cry, make sure you let it all out. You'll feel a lot better after words that way." With those words of encouragement, we sat there, as I continued to cry into his chest and he continued to caress my head. We stayed like that together until I had finally run out of tears.

⁂

"Sorry about holding you so closely all of a sudden, but I wasn't really sure what to do. It's just, whenever my younger sister starts crying, that'll usually help calm her down, though it's definitely a bit weird doing it to someone your own age," he said with a nervous chuckle. "Anyways, are you feeling a bit better now?"

I nodded my head. I was still exhausted from crying and it was a bit difficult forming coherent thoughts, but it was probably what was keeping my face from growing red from embarrassment as well.

"I'm sorry I didn't step in earlier as well. If I had caught them messing around with your shoes, I definitely would have stopped them. That whole part about having recorded them—that was a bluff. Thankfully those idiots fell for it." I nodded, showing my understanding and hoping to show my gratefulness as well. Beside me sat a boy the same age as me, who seemed genuinely upset and angry for me, despite me having never met him before. A small warmth filled my chest, alleviating the heavy weight that had pressed down so hard earlier.

"You're… Yukinoshita Yukino, right?"

"Eh? You… know me?" I asked, curious. I was sure I had never seen the boy sitting beside me before, yet he was aware of who I was.

"Of course," he replied as if it were natural, "We are in the same class after all."

"…"

"Wait… don't tell me… you don't recognize me?"

I studied his face, hoping perhaps for some hint to his identity. Medium length black hair sat messily on top of his head though a single strand noticeably stood straight up, separate from the rest giving him a boyish. No characteristics really stood out from his face and I found my sight drawn to his eyes hopeful for one last clue. His eyes were a light gray, and though they weren't unusual, I found myself drawn to them.

"Well?" he asked with a cough, snapping me out of my trance.

I quickly shook my head back and forth, before turning the opposite direction to hide the rapid flush that was quickly reddening my cheeks. All in all, his features were completely normal, with nothing giving me an indication that I recognized him, and was forced to conclude that I didn't know him.

Hanging his head, he let out a sigh. "I see. Then I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Hikigaya Hachiman. Like I said before, we're in the same class, so do try and remember me in the future, okay?"

Though I could tell he was joking around with the last part, I still couldn't help but feel somewhat embarrassed that he knew who I was, yet I couldn't say the same.

"I'm sorry… I'm not very good with names, or with people…" I realized just how pathetic I had sounded with my excuses, but it was also the truth. I wasn't much of a people person. That was always Nee-chan or Hayato-kun.

"Argh, I didn't want you to apologize," he groaned. I almost apologized again instinctively before he cut me off. "Look, instead of apologizing all the time, learn from your mistakes instead. You can pay me back by learning my name instead, got it?"

I nodded along, hoping I wouldn't do anything to earn my savior's ire again.

"While you're at it," he continued, "try and learn the rest of our classmates' names as well." He rubbed the back of his head and looked away. "I know… I know I'm the last person that should be saying anything like that, but it's an important thing to do."

I was confused about the meaning of his words, especially those last ones. His expression was hard to describe; it wasn't one I saw often. It reminded me of the face that I had seen Nee-chan make sometimes after speaking with mother. Whenever I asked her about it, she would pretend that nothing was wrong, but I'd caught a glimpse one or twice when she thought she was alone; she had looked so… sad. Unfortunately, before I could voice my concerns to the boy beside me, three chimes went off, echoing around the entrance hall and the hallways.

"Oh shoot!" he cried, his head turning to the side and his eyes focusing in on his target. My eyes followed, and a clock entered my range of vision, revealing we had about just under four minutes left to get to class. We both got up, him bolting up, and me more being pulled along, though his haste was understandable; if we hurried now, we could make it in time just before homeroom started. However, looking into my locker, I was once more reminded why we were here in the first place.

As the despair settled in again, the boy beside me saved me once more.

"Augh. You can't wear those shoes around the school like that. Hmm… I guess we don't have another choice."

Taking off his own shoes, he handed them to me. Well, rather than hand them, it's more like he forced them onto me.

"Here, take mine. They might be a bit loose, but it's better than nothing."

"Wait! What are you going to wear than?"

"I'll just have to wear my normal shoes than."

"If that's the case, I can just wear my normal shoes than."

"If you do that, Sensei will yell at you. I'll do it." Putting on his other shoes, he made his way down the hallway leaving no room to argue.

Yet, I had one last question I needed to ask.

"Wait! Why… why did you save me?" Why go through all that effort to help someone you didn't even know? For what reason did you help me?

"Huh? Do I need a reason to save someone who looks like they're asking for help?" He replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Now hurry up and put on those shoes or we're going to be late!"

⁂

Looking back, I can fondly say that was the turning point for everything. Circumstances soon after words brought me back to Japan, and I doubted that we would ever meet again. Regardless, his words back then memorialized themselves within my being. My hero… his words—from then on, I strove to do my best to fulfill them. He became my ideal.

…

So then why?

Why was Hikigaya Hachiman here at this school, giving some disgustingly pessimistic opening speech on the finer details of the social hierarchy?!

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hello, blank-san here!**

 **...**

 **ARGH, I'M SO SORRY!**

 **First of all, I'd like to apologize to all the people who are waiting for my other story, "My Other World Journey was Completely Unexpected". I promise you that I have not given up on the story; I simply have not had much time work on it recently. Unfortunately, I don't see myself being able to sit down and focus on it for a while either. With midterms coming up for most of my classes and the semester coming to a close in less than two months, I'll probably have to spend a majority of my time studying. This semester has definitely been my busiest (18 credits and only math and engineering classes is no joke). However, before I started writing out that story, I actually jotted down a rough outline of the plot for myself as well as a lot of the minor details concerning some of the more intricate devices within the story. When I am finally able to really focus on writing which should be around late December or early January, it should be relatively quick getting out some chapters. During the next semester as well, I have no need to take as many credits, which should give me time to update then as well, though on a less frequent schedule.**

 **Anyways, regarding this story, it's been an idea that I had been playing around with for a while, having thought of it even before my other story. I wrote a rough draft out of the first couple of chapters around this time last year, though I never published it. This story shares the same premise, the idea that Yukinoshita _had_ met Hikigaya when they were children, and the effects of that meeting on the development of their characters, as well as how they would react to their reunion many years later in high school. I know this doesn't necessarily make up for my late of updates these past couple of months, but it's an idea that's always intrigued me and a story that I've always wanted to work on ever since the idea popped into my head. Hopefully, it was to your liking and if you've made it this far down, thank you for reading.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Without Hesitation, Yukinoshita Yukino makes her decision.**

* * *

April 2. The start of a new school year. Today was especially noteworthy as it was also my first day of high school. I was already normally used to waking up somewhat early in order to get to school before others; in elementary school, I did it as a precaution, though I stuck with it during middle school and it somehow developed into a habit. Today though, I had gone through the extra effort to wake up even earlier than usual.

As the student representative for the incoming freshmen class, it was entrusted upon me to deliver a speech during today's opening ceremony and it was a duty that I was honored to fulfill. As such, I needed to arrive a bit earlier to school today for my briefing on my part during the opening ceremony. For the most part, I had already finished my speech a couple weeks ago, and I was confident that I was well versed enough on it that I could deliver it with no issues. All that was left was delivering a copy of my speech and go through a quick practice version to ensure that no huge issues occurred during the actual thing.

Overall, it was a process that should take no longer than half an hour. However, there was something else I had wanted to discuss with a certain teacher beforehand. It wasn't an especially impending matter, so it would've been fine to save it for after the opening ceremony, but a part of me wouldn't let myself delay this any longer.

I ate a quick breakfast of eggs and toast before using the bathroom to clean up and prepare myself for the day. After donning my uniform, I did a quick once-over to check that nothing was off. As I looked myself over, I couldn't help but admire my image in the mirror. I never had much of a sense for fashion; like with many things, that was always Nee-san. Despite that, I felt that the Sobu High uniform looked very sharp. Satisfied with how the uniform looked, I grabbed my two favorite ribbons off my dresser, fixed my hair, and made my way out of my apartment.

⁂

The apartment that I currently called home was about twenty minutes walking distance from the school. For various reasons, I lived apart from my family, so the high-rise apartment building was quite convenient for commuting to school. Though I lived within walking distance of the school, it was still possible for me to have a chauffeur from our family come drive me every morning; that was what Nee-san had done while she attended Sobu. Given the opportunity though, I preferred to walk. It was just another one of the many things that _that_ person had given me.

As embarrassing as it was to admit, one my few imperfections was my poor sense of direction. I had spent the week before school had started just walking to school in the morning, hoping to memorize the route. Thankfully, I was able to make to school without any detours or assistance around two days ago, so I was confident I could do it again today. Focusing to make sure I didn't make any wrong turns, I uneventfully made my way to school.

⁂

After arriving at school, I made my way towards the teacher's office. I had been here several times before, both when Nee-san had attended Sobu High and when I had come to take the entrance exam myself. Thanks to that, I was able to successfully make my way there with no issues.

Stepping in, I found a relatively normal teacher's office—desks were lined up in rows, with many covered in paper despite the school year having only just started. Very few individuals had showed up yet, no doubt a combination of just how early it was and that it was only the opening ceremony today. It was likely that even many of the teachers would only show up a couple of minutes before school would start. Perhaps because of that, one particular couple stood out.

It was a student-teacher pair, judging by the uniform worn by one and the clothing of the other. The other student was unmistakably male based of both his uniform and his stature. I couldn't help but wonder just who this person was to also be here so early. As for the teacher, she wore a black vest over a white dress shirt as well as black dress pants and a pair of dress shoes. Her most noticeable feature though, was the contrasting white lab coat she wore. Based off her appearance, she was no doubt the teacher I was looking for. As I made my way towards the two, I was able to pick up tidbits of their conversation.

"-man, did you hear what I said? What you handed in was fine, so just make sure you stick to that, understand?" said a mature, but female voice.

The boy only let out a grunt of recognition.

Sighing, the teacher closed her eyes and put her hands to her head.

"Anyways, it looks like I have another student I need to talk to so you're off the hook for now. You had better attend the opening ceremony, or else." With a lightly veiled threat, she punched one hand into the palm of the other, demonstrating the _or else_. The boy's body visibly stiffened, but he made no other remarks.

As he turned towards me to leave the room, I caught the briefest glimpse of his face. As the image of his face was processed by my mind, I couldn't help but be overwhelmed by a sense of nostalgia, the image of the boy before me overlapping with the one that had saved me so many years ago.

" _Do I need a reason to save someone who looks like they're asking for help?"_

But… no. There was one thing that didn't match up—their eyes. The boy that had helped me back then—his eyes shined. It's as if they were filled with the very hope that he had infected me with. As for the one that had just passed, I couldn't imagine a greater contrast. His eyes were dark and hollow, and the furrow on his brow only added to the feeling of bitterness I felt from him. Though their faces were similar, there was no way they could be the same person.

It was likely just my imagination. With the proposal I had wanted to bring up, there was no doubt my mind had been thinking of that boy a lot more as of lately. It was unavoidable that I'd want to once more meet the person that had so greatly influence me. Thinking about it, he was the same age as me so it was understandable why I'd be placing his image onto those around me.

"-shita-san? Yukinoshita-san!"

With a jolt, I snapped out of my thoughts. The one who did so was none other than the teacher I had intended to talk to before. She sat there with a look of concern."

"You are Yukinoshita Yukino, correct?"

"Ah, yes," I said, replying back this time.

"Hmm," she hummed, thoughtfully gazing over me. With a satisfied grin, she nodded. "As expected, you're just as beautiful as your sister. Top of your class as well."

The one analyzing me was Hiratsuka Shizuka, a teacher at Sobu High, as well as a guidance counselor. I felt a bit peeved by her instant comparison of myself to Nee-san, but I made no comment. It was understandable. From what Nee-san had told me, she was close friends with a Shizuka-sensei during high school. More likely than not, Hiratsuka-sensei was already probably somewhat familiar with me through Nee-san. She was also the one that would probably be the most interested in helping me with my proposal.

"So," she continued, her analysis over, "what are you doing here so early? School doesn't start for another hour at the least. Even if your taking part in the opening ceremony, there was no need for you to show up this early."

"I needed to turn this in," I said, handing her a copy of the speech I had prepared. Taking it, Hiratsuka-sensei gave it a quick glance, before nodding and slipping it into a folder.

"Was that it? There was still no need to come so early."

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about the creation of a club."

"A club? What kind were you thinking? Sobu's already got a ton, so your idea might overlap with one that already exists."

"I was going to call it the service club."

"Oh?" Hiratsuka-sensei let out. She leaned forward, resting her chin on top of her folded hands. "What an interesting name. Care to elaborate."

I simply nodded, but I was happy that I had caught her interest. "I wanted to create a club that helps out students in need—somewhere students can go to speak of their troubles without fear of judgement and where I'll do my best to assist them in whatever way possible."

The grin disappeared from Hiratsuka-sensei's face, replaced by a solemn expression instead. Her brows furrowed together in thought as she went silent. That was not the reaction I had been hoping for.

"Um… is there something wrong with my proposal sensei?" I asked nervously. I hadn't planned for the off chance that she would shoot me down, convinced by Nee-san's description of her that Hiratsuka-sensei would help me out.

"Ah… no, it's nothing." She said shaking her head. "You words just now reminded me of someone else. I was simply remembering something. That's all."

Leaning back into her chair, she let her head hang back and let out a sigh. I was worried by what that meant, but the smile returned to her lips.

"It's certainly an interesting idea. However, there's some details that'll need to be worked out which will take a while though. For now, just head to the gymnasium, Yukinoshita. You still need to get ready for the opening ceremony after all. Come back after school's over and I'll go over your plan in more depth with you then."

"Yes." Though I tried to keep my voice neutral, I couldn't help but let a small piece of my excitement out, though I hardly cared much either. It was the first step. Giving a short bow, I left the teacher's office and made my way to the gymnasium where the opening ceremony would be held.

⁂

The practice run had gone up until about fifteen minutes before the actual ceremony would start. The rest of the time had been spent making sure all the equipment was working properly and that everyone was is position. Students slowly filed in, but the gymnasium had become relatively full as we approached the hour. Older students filled in the first few rows by class followed by the incoming class of freshmen. Normally, I would be among them, but it was decided that I would be behind stage for a smoother experience. Up on stage with me was members of the faculty including the principal and all the teachers as well as the student council president. Strangely, Hiratsuka-sensei was missing though.

The bell rang, snapping me out of my thoughts and signaling the start of the school year. I had no time to worry about Hiratsuka-sensei; for now, I had to focus on my own task. Stepping up to the podium first was the principal. After welcoming the incoming freshmen, he gave a rather uplifting though rather textbook speech to motivate the students. I suppose after doing something for long enough, you find shortcuts to things. I wouldn't be surprised if he had a template he adjusted for every new year. His speech was met with a light round of applause, though the murmuring from the front only furthered my suspicions.

The student council president was welcomed up next. Shiromeguri Meguri, I believe her name was. She was only a year my senior, yet she here she was giving a speech for the opening ceremony which meant that she was elected last year, while she herself had been a freshman. Honestly, even having watched Nee-san my whole life, I was impressed by what Shiromeguri-senpai had accomplished.

"Good morning, everyone. To the juniors and seniors, I'd like to welcome you back. As for the freshmen, Welcome to Sobu High. Seniors, I won't nag you about this too much since I'm sure you're more aware than anyone, but it's an important year for you at Sobu High. It's a bit early, but make sure you study hard, and I wish you the best on your college entrance exams. To my fellow juniors, we might not have to worry about college just yet, but we'll be deciding on our focuses this year, so don't slack off. And to the freshmen. As I'm sure you're aware, this is a prestigious academy. Though three years may seem like a long time, the years go by in a flash; make sure you don't fall behind."

Shiromeguri-senpai continued on with her speech, but loud footsteps as well as a noticeably angry, though hushed voice drew my attention backstage. Though the backstage was dimmed, making it hard to see too well, I could make out two figures coming through one of the back entrances, one pulling on the other. From her voice and the white lab coat that reflected the lights of the stage, I deduced that it was none other than Hiratsuka-sensei who had been missing earlier.

"Just stand next to her and wait for your turn, got it?!" she asked, her irritation leaking from her voice. I had to assume she was talking to the other person she had pulled along with her, as there we were the only three here and I had done nothing that could have provoked such displeasure. They wore a Sobu High uniform and judging by it they were male. Their face, however, was a bit hard to distinguish, so I had no clue who it was, nor why they were here. Their only reply to Hiratsuka-sensei's question was a grunt. Hiratsuka-sensei seemed less than pleased, but she headed over to where the teachers were lined up on stage, slipping in on the end, hoping not to attract attention. With that over, I turned my attention back to Shiromeguri-senpai who was wrapping up her speech.

"Though Sobu High is a school that puts emphasis on your grades, I'd like to remind you all that you'll only ever be in high school once. Don't forget to enjoy yourselves and I wish that you all make unforgettable memories while you're here."

Shiromeguri-senpai's speech was met with a thunderous roar of applause, though I noticed a lot of that whooping was coming from the males; even many of the freshman boys had joined in. Regardless, it was a sign of her charisma and it spoke levels about her abilities to lead the student body. At the very least, she was more well regarded than the principal.

As the applause died down, Shiromeguri-senpai began to speak again.

"As many of you are aware, every year, we invite the top performing student on the entrance exam to act as the freshmen representative and give a speech during the opening ceremony. This year was a bit special though. Two students managed to score perfect scores on the entrance exam! Since we had both a boy and a girl, we've decided to let both give a speech. To start, please welcome, Yukinoshita Yukino!"

Two students? This was the first I had heard of it. I suppose that was what the boy to my right was doing here. I was curious as to why I hadn't been informed, but I had no time to dwell on it as I had been called to the stage. I made my way center stage, to the podium the other two had spoken at previously. Shiromeguri-senpai wished me good luck before moving herself off to the side, leaving me as the focus of the stage. I took a deep breath, steeling my nerves, and began.

"Good morning, staff and students of Sobu High. It's my honor to be one of the representatives speaking to you here today. As we gather here, on this fine spring day, we take a step forward in another chapter of our lives. For some of us, it's a beginning, the start of that chapter, and for others, it's a step closer towards the end. A year isn't a long time; as we grow older, they only seem to fly by that much faster. This beautiful spring will soon make way for an exciting summer, and then, perhaps a relaxed autumn will pave way for a melancholic winter. In just twelve short months, we will have returned to this point again. However, just because our time here might be limited, that doesn't make it null. Laugh, smile, and cry. As students, our first and foremost priority is studying, but there's more to life than that. This spring… and this year to come—it's something we'll only ever experience once. So, whether it's studying, playing, making friends, or making memories, jump forward without looking back. This year that we'll spend together—let's make it a good one—one that we'll fondly remember for years to come."

My speech was met with a brief silence, before the crowd once more erupted into a loud chorus of applause, dispelling my fears. I couldn't help release a sigh. No matter how much I practiced, I simply wasn't a people person. Though I was confident I could speak in front of crowds, that was the extent of my abilities. There was no guarantee that I could make my words reach them. Thankfully, I managed to pull it off. I was glad that it was over, but I was also glad that I had gone through with it. Shiromeguri-senpai came over, shaking my hands and offering congratulations on how well my speech had gone. I was still drained by the experience so I simply nodded and handed back the mic, taking that as my cue to return backstage.

As I gratefully headed back to my original position, the boy waiting with me earlier walked past towards the center of the stage. As he neared, I was finally able to distinguish who he was; it was none other than the boy who was in the teacher's office this morning. It certainly explained why he had been here so early. I couldn't help but wonder why he'd showed up so late to the ceremony if he had arrived so early though. We passed each other on the stage without so much as a glance, but Shiromeguri-senpai's next words drew my attention.

"Now for your second freshmen representative. If you could be so kind, please welcome, Hikigaya Hachiman!"

" _My name is Hikigaya Hachiman. Like I said before, we're in the same class, so do try and remember me in the future, okay?"_

No… way. My head whipped around faster than my thoughts could rearrange themselves and I found my focus centered on the boy who had just passed me. As he stood before the podium and readied himself, I was able to really focus on him for the first time. His face—his nose, his chin, his brows—they were all similar to his. He was taller, obviously, and though he stood slouched, I couldn't help but feel he was at least half a head taller than I. Despite our lack of contact for several years, I couldn't help but feel that the Hikigaya Hachiman that stood before me now felt remarkably similar to the one I had met so many years ago. Yet there was one main difference between the two, one so large that part of me refused to accept that they could possibly be the same person. His appearance was so rough... His expression said that he was less than pleased, and the soft eyes that had worried about my well being were filled with anger. Just… what could have caused such a change?

"Oi, Yukinoshita!"

A sharp whisper snapped me out of my thoughts. I couldn't help but jump in surprise and I looked around for the source of my shock. Standing very close to me was Hiratsuka-sensei who looked both concerned and annoyed. She was making gestures and I realized that when I had stopped to turn around and stare, I had still been on the stage, in sight of the audience. Feeling my face flush red, I quickly made my way off the stage, only hoping that I hadn't been staring for too long. My embarrassment would have to wait though. With me off the stage, Hikigaya-kun began his speech. I took my face out of my hands and looked up from where I had been crouching on the floor; it was very likely that I could glean some information about _this_ Hikigaya-kun from his speech, and perhaps what had happened to him as well.

"I'll make this quick. No need to bore you with nonsensical speeches on the magic of friendship and teamwork. You could get that from Weekly Jump if that's what you really wanted."

I couldn't help but feel that last part was a direct jab at me, but there wasn't much I say from my position. Meanwhile, Hiratsuka-sensei, who was only standing a few meters away from me, at the end of the stage, looked a bit worried as well. Hikigaya-kun cleared through before beginning again.

"Youth is a lie; it's nothing but a crock—a fabrication created by hypocrites to cover up the failures of their life. These people interpret everything in their environment as an affirmation of their own beliefs—their failures but a part of the 'teen experience' and simply a happy memory to be remembered."

Hikigaya-kun continued his speech, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the discomfort of the crowd. With each word he spoke out and every spiteful statement he made, the murmurs of the crowd grew only more apparent. The staff had worried looks on their face, and while Hiratsuka-sensei had her face down, I could feel a cold aura radiating off of her even from where I stood. I turned my attention back to Hikigaya-kun who was still speaking as if nothing was wrong. Where was this whole thing going? He wasn't serious… was he?

"Yet despite the fact that you tote around your failures as symbols of your own 'youth', you conclude that the failures of others are nothing more than defeat. You with your lifetime of failures, would mock others—those who tried harder and flew higher only crash down because of the scale of what they had tried to accomplish. That, is what makes _you_ hypocrites… but you would never accept that as the truth."

At some point during his speech, Hikigaya-kun had switched from a general form of address to one more personal, singling the whole school out as his target. I couldn't help but notice the tint of anger that dyed his voice with that shift of address.

He coughed, as if he had needed to regain the attention of the student body who had been focused solely on his words. With a sneer and a thumbs down, he continued.

"To those of you who were planning on happily spending your days here, idiotically trying to enjoy yourselves and make memories, I only have one thing to say—Go kill yourselves."

With that final proclamation, he gave a small bow, and made his way off the stage. The gymnasium was once more filled with silence, no doubt from the shock. What had followed, however, was the loudest uproar that had occurred since any of the speeches had been made.

"What the hell was that?!"

"Why don't you go kill yourself, you bastard!"

"Who the hell does that guy think he is?!"

As Shiromeguri-senpai and the principal tried desperately to calm the raging crowd, Hikigaya-kun returned to his earlier position by me. He stood coolly, as if unaware of the chaos he had just caused or of the hatred he had just earned. I couldn't help but stare slack-jawed at him, my face unable to hide the shock of what I had just witnessed. A certain teacher only furthered my astonishment.

"HACHIMAN!"

With a rage brimmed scream, she came running backstage, her right armed level with her shoulder and bent at a ninety-degree angle. Using the momentum of her run, she jumped up and smashed her inner arm into the crook of him neck, taking them both to the ground, though Hikigaya-kun, who hadn't been expecting it, had taken noticeably more damage from their fall. I believed that was referred to as… a Lariat? Regardless, Hiratsuka-sensei's sudden demonstration of wrestling moves on another student did nothing to ease my shock, and I could only continue to stare as Hiratsuka-sensei got up and effortlessly dragged out the still downed and out Hikigaya-kun though the backdoor from which they had first entered.

⁂

I raced through the hallways, currently disregarding any school rules in my attempts to get answers just one second faster. Though they had less than a minute's head start on me, I had yet to see any sign of either Hiratsuka-sensei or Hikigaya-kun. Most likely, Hiratsuka-sensei had dragged Hikigaya-kun off to the teacher's office once more to have a word with him. It was the most logical assumption. As I rounded the corner, I was able to make out the sound of two voices, confirming my assumptions.

The recent mess of events had left my mind jumbled. Without thinking, I loudly pulled open the door of the teacher's lounge to the surprise of Hiratsuka-sensei and Hikigaya-kun. My interruption had effectively halted their previous conversation, their focus now on me.

"Yukinoshita, did you need something? I know I told you to meet me after the ceremony was over but, as you can see, I'm a bit occupied right now."

I opened my mouth to speak, but I realized I wasn't exactly sure what I had wanted to say. I had made no plans before arriving here. I had simply wanted to meet the boy who had saved me once more. No… there was no time to be embarrassed; that was exactly why I was here right now. Swallowing my breath, I said the first thing that came to mind.

"Hikigaya-kun, do you… Do you remember me?!" The last part rushed out a bit faster than I had intended as my voice shot up a pitch. I could feel my face heat up, though I could only hope that was from the effort of running here.

"" Huh?!"" My question was meet with shock from both of them.

"Hikigaya, you know Yukinoshita?" Hiratsuka-sensei asked, responding first. Most of her earlier fatigue had evidently faded, only to be replaced by curiosity. In response, Hikigaya-kun turned towards me, I suppose, to see if he remembered me. As his eyes met mine, I was forced to look to the side as I felt my cheeks grow warmer, but he continued ignoring my struggle. After looking me over, he closed his eyes as if deep in thought.

"Hmm… You were… who again?"

My knees buckled and I collapsed to the floor.

"OI, HIKIGAYA!"

"What did I do?!"

"No, I'm… fine," I said brushing off Hiratsuka-sensei's concern. Using the edge of a nearby table, I was able to push myself back into a standing position. Truthfully, those five short words now hurt so much more than any of the indirect jabs that had been made at me during the ceremony. I wanted nothing more at this point to go back home, crawl under my sheets, and watch cat videos all week. I couldn't blame him though. True, I may have occasionally though about him, but only as the person who had helped me. I had made no effort to reconnect with him during these years. However, I wasn't about to let some misunderstanding get in my way. After all, there was no way we would understand each other if I didn't say anything.

"My name is Yukinoshita Yukino. We were in the same class during our last year of elementary school. You saved me."

"Oh?" That seemed to have piqued sensei's interest. "That was back when…! Hikigaya! Look. There's living proof in front of you _right now—_ proof that your efforts weren't a waste!"

Sensei had gotten excited all of a sudden for some reason, though Hikigaya-kun had yet to respond. He had lowered his head at some point, making his expression hard to read. When he finally did raise his head, I was met with unadulterated anger. Needless to say, I instinctively backed away.

"SHIZUKA! Please… stop bringing this up." The anger seemed to dissipate from his voice with that shout, the rest of his words barely making it out. Grabbing his bag, he quickly made his way out of the room.

"Hikigaya… Hachiman!..." Hiratsuka-sensei chased after Hikigaya-kun but stopped at the door, ending her pursuit there. Letting out a sigh, she returned to her desk and slumped into her chair. I stood nervously, unmoving. I had no doubt that that outburst had been caused by me, though how I had caused it, eluded me. Remembering that I was still here, Hiratsuka-sensei turned towards me.

"Yukinoshita, I'm sorry you had to see that. Hikigaya is… he's not actually a bad person, y'know? He was a really kind child, though I'm sure _you'd_ know that since you came looking for him all these years later," she stated, letting out an awkward chuckle.

I nodded, but I had a question of my own.

"Um, sensei, is it possible that you know what happened to Hikigaya-kun?" Evidently something had happened that had changed him. One thing that had bothered me all day was the closeness of these two. Several times throughout the day, they had slipped up, calling each other on a first name basis. If anyone was likely to know about what had happened, sensei was as good a guess as any.

"Hmm…" she hummed, closing her eyes. Reaching into her coat pocket, she pulled out a pack of cigarettes, before taking one out and lighting it. I wasn't a fan of smokers, and we were still inside as well, but sensei really seemed stressed out, so I ignored it for now. She took a deep puff of the cigarette before continuing.

"This might come as a surprise, but I've been acquainted with the Hikigayas for a long time. Hikigaya-kun… no, Hachiman is like a younger brother to me. As I'm sure you're aware, that boy loved to help others as a child, but during middle school, something rather unfortunate happened. It's not my place to go into too many details, but needless to say, he changed. Ever since then, he's been like this."

This day had been full of surprises. I had concluded that Hikigaya-kun and Hiratsuka-sensei had some sort of relationship outside of their one at school, but I never would have imagined that they were this close. Hiratsuka-sensei took another puff before continuing.

"I know it's a bit hard to tell, but he really is still the same person. He acts cold and uncaring at school, but when he's at home with family, he really does brighten up… Yukinoshita, you wanted to open up a club that would help others out, right?"

I nodded, reconfirming my resolution.

"Got it. I'll be the adviser for the club, so in return, I need you to do something. Your first request will be from me. Please, help Hikigaya; become his friend."

The helpless look on sensei's face and her desperate plea caused a bundle of emotions welled up within me. I couldn't even imagine what he had gone through to change him so drastically—what he had experience that had made him such a pessimistic and cynical human being. Yet, I also couldn't help but think of how fitting the whole situation was. The boy who had saved me all those years ago—it was finally my turn to pay him back. This time, Yukinoshita Yukino would be the one to save Hikigaya Hachiman.

There was only one thing I needed to say.

"Understood. The service club accepts your request."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hello, it's been a while... or not! For once, I managed to update within a somewhat expected interval. (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧**

 **Midterms are over and I've found a bit of time to do some writing, and while I certainly can't make any promises about the frequency of these updates, here's a chapter nevertheless. Enjoy.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: The Ice That Shackles His Heart Remains Unmelted by the Snow**

* * *

Much like I had yesterday, I had gotten up earlier than usual, though not by much today. I had a quick stop I needed to make before heading off to school. After having gotten ready and dressed, I grabbed my bag and the set of directions I had received the yesterday before heading out.

My destination was about half an hour's walk away. Thankfully, the train would be able to take me most of the way. Though I was bad with direction, I was at least able to utilize public transportation. Everything was orderly and labelled. All one had to do was purchase, their pass, take the correct line, and the train did the rest. It was truly a blessing for myself to be able to live in such an age of technology. I who lived alone and was… reluctant to ask my family for help—there was no way I'd be able to survive without it.

In the couple of weeks that I had lived in my new apartment, I had made an effort to go outside and get a feel for my new surroundings. As a result of that, I was at least able to navigate my neighborhood, and luckily, to the nearby station. After a quick walk to the station and a five-minute ride on the train, I departed near my destination.

Even with the help of the train, I still had some walking to do. The place I wanted to go was located within a residential district. Normally that might have posed an issue. The small, maze-like streets often had no street signs and the lack of any discernible landmarks made them naturally effective against me. However, thanks to the list of directions in my left hand the GPS mapping system on my phone in my right, I would have no issues today! After only five more minutes of staring downward intensely at my phone, I stopped before what should have been my destination.

Before me was a medium-sized, western-styled house. Nothing in particular stood out about it that would have indicated anything about the people who lived here. In fact, it looked like every other house on street. If I had to pick out something that stood out about it, I suppose it was definitely a bit larger than the average Japanese home. However, it was certainly not something that couldn't be afforded by a financially responsible family.

Regardless, nothing would come about me standing here, staring at this house all day. Readying myself, I made my way up the front door. Just as I was about to ring the doorbell, the door was pulled open from within.

"Komachi, I'm off to school. Shizuka will be by later today, just to let you know. Lock the door, please." Once more, a wave of nostalgia washed over me. His voice was deeper, no doubt a product of puberty, but compared to the rough tone he used yesterday, it was much closer to the boy that I remembered. Today… it was filled with kindness. The image he had showed me yesterday had so greatly contrasted against my hero, but perhaps it was possible that they were indeed the same person. Yes… if there was any doubt in my mind yesterday, they had all been cleared away in that moment. The boy standing before me now was undeniably the same Hikigaya Hachiman that had saved me back then.

"Whoa!" Hikigaya-kun cried out. As he turned around to head out, my appearance had no doubt surprised him. I felt a bit bad about showing up unexpected, but there wasn't much I could do about that, after all. The only information Hiratsuka-sensei had provided me with was his address.

"Good morning," I greeted, hoping to set an amiable mood.

"Oh, uh, good morning… Wait! That's not right! What the hell are you doing here!"

"I told you yesterday, didn't I?" Quite frankly, I was caught off guard by his sudden confrontational tone, but I did my best to ignore it.

"Listen here," he sighed. He was becoming noticeably more irritated by the second. "You keep saying this crap about me saving you and how we were friends, but I don't even remem—"

"Nyaaa~"

Interrupting Hikigaya-kun was a small, though chubby house cat that had wandered out of his house.

"Oi, Kamakura, I don't have time to deal with you right now. Go back inside."

Hikigaya-kun's feline pet gave him a glance before deciding to ignore him by wandering out further. The cat, "Kamakura", as Hikigaya-kun had called him, made his way over to me, brushing against my legs several times, before sitting down and purring in front of me.

This was… absolutely… irresistible! There was no way I could stay calm with such a cute animal before me.

"Kamakura, you traitor!"

"Nyaaaa~"

"Aw, you're such a cutie!" I couldn't help but express my joy as I knelt down to properly pet Kamakura-san. In return, Kamakura began to rub his head against my outstretched hand, only boosting the exhilaration currently running rampant through my nerves.

"Kamakura, come back inside—Ah!"

Bursting through the door after Hikigaya-kun and Kamakura-san was a young girl—around older-grade school/younger-middle school aged if I had to guess, wearing a yellow set of pajamas. Based off the similarities between her and the boy next to her, I had to assume that they were related. In fact, it was probably safe to assume that she was Hikigaya-kun's younger sister.

"Good morning," I greeted, standing up and giving a bow. "My name is Yukinoshita Yukino. It's nice to meet you."

Rather than return my greeting, she instantly jumped, hiding behind her brother's back. With only her head peeking out she nervously stared at me without making a peep. It would have made for quite a comical scene if it wasn't for the fact that she actually seemed frightened by me, and that I had done nothing (at least, I hoped so) to scare her.

Hikigaya-kun glanced at his sister before letting out a sigh. He leaned to pick up Kamakura-san before handing it off to her.

"Come on Komachi, there's no need to worry. I'll be back later, so just head back inside for now." He turned her around and gently nudged her in the direction of their home. After a quick glance between myself and her brother, she gave a quick nod, before heading back inside. The door closed and an audible click was heard. Confirming that she had locked the door. Hikigaya-kun made his way past me, out his front gates.

"Ah, wait! Where are you going?" I asked, chasing after him.

"Where else? We still have school today."

"Then let me come along with you."

"Hah? Why should I?"

"Be-be-be…"

"Be…?"

"BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET TO SCHOOL FROM HERE, OKAY?!"

⁂

"…"

"…"

"…Look, listen. I know I said I'd walk you to school, but that doesn't mean you have to walk right next to me, does it?"

"You want me to walk behind you then?"

"Obviously. Besides, isn't it weird walking together?"

"Of course not," I replied, ignoring the implications of his statement. "Besides, it would be stranger if I was to trail behind you the entire way to school."

He let out a sigh. With Hikigaya-kun giving up, silence returned once more. Even though we were walking to school together, the mood was uncomfortable. There was no way I wanted to walk the entire way to school like this. Remembering Hiratsuka-sensei's request, I took Hikigaya-kun's silence as a chance to finally ask him some questions.

"Hey, Hikigaya-kun, do you really not remember me?"

"Sorry, but like I said yesterday, I have no idea who you are."

Ouch. Though I thought I had braced myself, his words felt like a punch to the gut. He glanced at me before sighing again.

"Look, you said we met in our last year of grade school, right?" I nodded, prompting him to continue. "Right after graduation, I was really busy. A lot of stuff happened like moving back to Japan. It was a pretty hectic time, and I had a lot of other things I needed to focus on; I didn't really have time to think about other things including the past, so it's a bit hard to remember if you just bring it up all of a sudden."

"What I'm trying to say," he mumbled, rubbing the back of his head, "is it's not your fault or anything. So stop showing such a pathetic face."

I could see what Hiratsuka-sensei had meant. He was a lot rougher now, his insensitivity towards the feelings of others borderline insulting a good eighty percent of the time, yet the kindness he had shown me back then was still there, occasionally peeking out and showing itself, provided that it was given the chance. A small smile found its way to my lips.

"What are you acting so happy about?" he grumbled. "Besides, now I've answered your questions, it's time for you to answer mine."

I nodded, giving him the go-ahead.

"Then first, how the hell did you find my house?"

"Hiratsuka-sensei told me."

"Of course, that old hag is always meddling," he groaned. He quickly recomposed himself though, before continuing.

"Alright that was too simple. Here's another one: _Why_ exactly were at my house first thing in the morning?"

Hmm. He was right. This would be tougher to answer. I had seen how badly he had reacted to the topic yesterday. However, hadn't I already made up my mind? I would be the one to help him this time.

"I want to save you."

He stopped in his tracks, prompting me to have to stop as well. While we were talking, we had managed to make it to the school gates. We were early, and as a result, there was hardly anyone here. I could have made my way into the building by myself at that point, however, I felt this was a conversation we needed to have. I turned back to face him. His eyes had narrowed in response to my answer.

"Look," he growled, "I don't _need_ saving, and even if I did, how the hell would you know."

How did I know that Hikigaya-kun needed help? True, there was the request from Hiratsuka-sensei yesterday, but that wasn't all. I realized that the answer was simple; it had simply been the same as back then.

"The same way you knew that I needed help back then." My answer had been vague, not really answering the question, but judging by the surprise on his face, he had understood my words. Yes, Hikigaya-kun had stated that he didn't remember saving me, but going by how Hiratsuka-sensei had described him, it was more likely than not that I wasn't the only person he had helped. If that was the case, he should have remembered the helpless gaze of all those he had saved—the empty eyes that had no doubt once held a place on my features and that now currently plagued him.

"Even so," he retorted, gritting his teeth, "why go through all this effort? Why would you try and help someone who doesn't even remember you?!"

"Do I need a reason to save someone who looks like they're asking for help?" I couldn't help but smirk as the words left my mouth. They were one of the things he had left me with back then, as well as the catalyst of my change.

My words, or rather, _his_ , had their intended effect on Hikigaya-kun. He stood dumbfounded, his anger dispelled. After several silent seconds, he sighed.

"I don't know what kind of crazy ideas I managed to stick into your head while we were children, but I'm telling you right now that it's in your best interests to stop. Nothing good comes from helping other people." Though the anger had gone, bitterness still seeped through his voice. "You're… different. If you're really grateful for what you did back then, then don't associate yourself with me anymore. I didn't save you because I wanted your debt. From this point on, we're nothing more than strangers."

His expression made it clear that no matter what I said, he would not listen. As he walked into the building, I could only stand by and watch him. Despite my own fair share of pain and hardship, there was an impassable ravine that separated us. I wondered… despite everything, could we really go back to being strangers?

⁂

Probably not. As I sat in my seat in class, I couldn't help but pity the boy shaking in his seat before me. No matter how low he tried to put his head, nor how much he tried to cover his face with his arms, he was unable to hide the red that had dyed a good majority of it. Yes, that boy was none other than Hikigaya-kun.

About thirty minutes prior, he had run off after boldly proclaiming that we were nothing but strangers. Then about twenty-five minutes ago, we discovered we were in the same class, 1-J. To make matters worse for him, my seat was positioned directly behind his. And that was the story of why Hikigaya-kun had had his head down the whole time before class.

I had wanted to talk to him, but various classmates had approached me all throughout the morning. We did introductions and made various small talk, but they all eventually left at some point or another to talk with others. Kuh… I'm sorry. Despite all my big talk yesterday about making friends and enjoying high school, I wasn't actually a very social person.

That aside, I noticed that despite the insulting speech directed towards the entire student body that Hikigaya-kun had been left relatively undisturbed by the class. Sure, there were two or three students who were sending him dirty looks or glares, but most of the class seemed pretty unconcerned with him. On that note, I was really surprised that Hikigaya-kun and I had ended up in the same class at all—rather, I was shocked that Hikigaya-kun was in the J class.

The J classes through all three years were a special class. Sobu High was a school of elites. Sure, there was the occasion odd ones out that managed to slip through, but the school was known for its difficult entrance exam and rigorous courses. In that sense, the J class was the elite of the elites. The J class was established with a focus on international interests. Because of that, students in the J class were often ahead, even for Sobu and many tended to be top students. Hikigaya-kun was definitely smart considering his score on the entrance exam, and the fact that he had studied abroad was something I personally knew, yet I had a hard time seeing him in this class. I suppose the delinquent-like image he had formed yesterday went against the studious nature that embodied Class J.

That nature was most likely the reason for the lack of hostility; as the top of the top, they probably didn't care—rather, they didn't believe that it involved them. Hikigaya-kun's speech had been mainly directed towards the *ahem* more carefree students, to put it politely. As much as one might try, it was impossible to ignore the gap that existed between class J and the rest of the classes. The unfortunate truth behind it was that many of class J considered themselves above the rest. It was undeniable that class J was ahead of the other classes academically, but it wasn't as if the margin was so huge that it was something that could be boasted about. Much like the fox and the tiger, much of that front was derived from their placement into the J class, rather than any of their own individual merits. Regardless, it was more likely than not that some in the class might even have empathized with Hikigaya-kun, or at the very least, felt no wrong in what he had said.

Returning to my original train of thought though, I certainly had not expected that Hikigaya-kun and I would be reunited and promptly shoved together. However, this was my chance. Gods, fate, or fortune—it didn't matter to me how we ended up together. If Hikigaya-kun intends to proclaim us as strangers, then I would have to show him how wrong he was.

⁂

Or so I said, but…

The whole day ended up passing without a chance to interact with Hikigaya-kun at all! As expected of the J class, the courses were much more difficult than one would expect of high school freshmen. Between the Calculus, Languages, and the other myriad of subjects we were assaulted with, there was simply no time for small talk. Sure I had a decent grasp of the subjects presented to us, and I was sure I would have no issues with them, but with the rate at which material would be covered, there was no doubt that anyone who wasn't focused would fall behind.

At least, that was what I had though…

Somehow, Hikigaya-kun had made it through the whole day with his head down. Whether he was actually sleeping or whether he was simply pretending, I didn't know, but he somehow managed to absorb all the material like that or he already knew it. Our calculus teacher had grown infuriated with Hikigaya-kun and called him up to the board to solve a question. Despite the fact that the school year had only just started, the teacher presented Hikigaya-kun with a very difficult problem. According to the syllabus, we should have been starting off with derivatives and only moving on to integrals after that. Even for the first couple of days, we should only have been reviewing the trigonometry many of us were familiar with from middle school. However, the problem presented involved vectors, integrals, and the function of a three-dimensional shape—a surface integral problem. To be completely honest, I only recognized the problem from flipping through one of Nee-san's old textbooks, and I wasn't even sure I could solve it. The rest of the class looked just about as clueless as I felt. Despite Hikigaya-kun's carefree attitude that had landed him in this situation, I felt the need to protest his unfair treatment. Contrary to my expectations though, he stood up and went to the board.

After examining the board for a couple of seconds, he picked up the chalk and began writing. Silence filled the room, only to be interrupted by the sound of Hikigaya-kun running the chalk against the board as every pair of eyes in the room was glued to his unfolding work. After about a minute of work and one filled up board later, Hikigaya-kun set the chalk down, returned to his seat, and proceeded to go back to sleep. I didn't know whether or not Hikigaya-kun was correct, but judging by the look on the teacher's face, and his dispirited attitude during the rest of class, I inwardly conceded my position as the rank one student (at least in math) for now.

The rest of the day proceeded much like that, though after the first three teachers, the rest decided to ignore Hikigaya-kun for the most part. Oddly enough, he sat up and at least looked forward during modern literature, though I had a feeling that was more due to the fact that Hiratsuka-sensei was our teacher rather than any real interest he held. During lunch, he had quickly left the room, and despite my searching, I had been unable to find him, while PE had the boys and the girls split up, ruining any chance I had of talking with him throughout the day.

Finally, the day came to a close, with Hikigaya-kun once more disappearing somewhere, while I headed off to club. Yesterday, after agreeing to Hiratsuka-sensei's request, she had led me to the special use building and assigned me a room to use. Though I called it club, I was the only person here. I couldn't help but let out a sigh; despite the opportunities presented to me today, I was no closer to Hikigaya-kun and no closer to solving sensei's request.

Just as I had pulled out a book to keep me occupied, a knock came from the door, and it was pulled open.

"Yo! Yukinoshita, how are you doing by yourself?" The one who had burst into the room was none other than Hiratsuka-sensei.

"Hiratsuka-sensei, if you're going to knock, at least wait for a response before opening the door," I responded, slightly annoyed by her rather rude question.

"Sorry, sorry," she laughed, clearly not. "Anyways, I have a new club member for you. Oi, don't just stand around the hallway—get inside." Switching her attention off of me for a brief moment, she grabbed someone from the hallway before shoving in none other than… Hikigaya-kun?!

"Oi, I didn't hear anything about joining a club!"

"Too bad Hikigaya. You don't have a say in this matter."

"Wait, Shizuka! You know I don't have time to join for clubs. What about Komachi?"

"Call me 'sensei' while we're at school, brat."

"Brat, huh? Well I suppose from your perspective, that may certainly be so."

" _Hah?_ You want to repeat that louder this time?"

"Guh!—nothing… "

"Anyways, I already talked to Komachi about it and she agreed. She said that she thinks it'll be good for the both of you. Isn't it great that you have such a caring, younger sister?"

"Yeah, if it wasn't balanced out by a demon for an older sister. What is this? Indentured servitude? Didn't we abolish slavery over four centuries ago?! I can think of several Japanese laws that would like to have a word with you about forcing me to do something against my will!"

"Listen here, Hikigaya," Sensei said, placing Hikigaya-kun into a choke hold. Sensei seemed to be holding him rather tight judging by the rapid drain of color from his face, though she paid him no mind. "Do you know how much crap I had to deal with after that stunt you pulled yesterday? Not only did us teachers have to deal with a bunch of calls from some annoying parents, I got reprimanded by the principal as well. How was that even my fault? Not only that, but you go poking fun at your beautiful older sister's age as well? You're lucky that you're getting off with just this."

Releasing her grip, and subsequently dropping Hikigaya-kun's lifeless form to the ground, Sensei folded her arms with a pout. I was slightly worried about the magnitude of her concerns, but I decided it would be in my best interests to stay out of their bout.

"Anyways, I have some lesson plans I need to go finish up, but I'll check in on you two later. Oh, and I might stay a bit late today, but if you wait for me, we can head home together, Hikigaya."

"No need," he grumbled from the floor.

"Suit yourself," Sensei replied with a shrug. Closing the door on her way out, Hiratsuka-sensei left Hikigaya-kun and I alone in the club room.

This was… uncomfortable.

Hiratsuka-sensei, wait! For some reason all the life in the room seemed to disappear when you left. Please come back! I know I wanted to talk to Hikigaya-kun, but after having been obstructed the entire day, there's no way I'd be able to deal with this sudden chance placed on my lap. We might have been in the same room for over a minute, but we had exchanged no words so far. As far as I was aware, he didn't even realize the other party was me. As I inwardly fretted about my current predicament, Hikigaya-kun let out a grunt and finally picked himself up.

"Ah… it's you again. Yukinoshita… Yukino, correct?" He turned away and embarrassingly scratched at the back of his head. "Um… this morning… please forget about it," he mumbled out.

Ah, right. After his rather, bold proclamation this morning, he was proven wrong not five minutes later. I could only nod in understanding.

"Right… anyways, it seems like I'll be in this club for a while, so I'll be in your care."

"…Eh?"

"Is something the matter?"

"Oh, no," I denied, waving my hands. "It's just… I didn't expect you to agree so readily…"

"Well, I have my own reasons for joining I suppose, the main one being that Komachi—er… my younger sister that is, and Hiratsuka-sensei would never get off my case if I didn't."

It was slightly shocking seeing Hikigaya-kun act so… obedient. After the "rough" speech he gave yesterday, as well as how angry he seemed about things, I would never have expected that he would have consented to joining my club, regardless the circumstance.

"So? What kind of club is this? Hiratsuka said she was going to fix my "nasty attitude", as she likes to put it, so I expected her to come up with something like picking up trash or cleaning up the school. Even if it was a club, with her interests, I would have expected a sports club or something in that vein at the very least."

Ah. That explained it. So Hiratsuka-sensei just dumped the problem onto me…

It's impossible! There's no way he'll react well to the club. I know I said I'd help him, but Sensei is only making the situation worse!

"So, are there any other members?" he asked.

"No…" I nervously replied

"I guess that makes you the club president, huh? No real equipment—only some desks, chairs… and I suppose that book you're holding. Is this a literary club?" he expressed, guessing this time.

"Not… quite."

"Hmm… Hiratsuka said something about fixing my attitude. Does this club have anything to do with that?"

"!? Well… I suppose I'm technically doing club duties right now…" Yes, technically I was working on the request that Sensei had given me—the one to help Hikigaya-kun, though I suspected he'd be less than pleased if I outright stated that.

"You were reading, but it's not a literary club and there's nothing special about the room either… Alright, I'm stumped. What kind of club is this?"

"It's… it's called the service club. It's a club where students can come to receive help with their problems."

His brows furrowed with the narrowing of his eyes, and a frown replaces his previously neutral features. As expected, Hikigaya-kun was less than pleased by the topic.

"You're still going on about that? Didn't I make it clear this morning; nothing good comes out of helping other people."

"Hikigaya-kun! I—"

"Look I don't know whether you're doing this to try and get on people's good sides, have something to brag about, or are just genuinely stupid, but you should drop it, now." Getting up from where he had seated himself on the floor, he made his way to the door. "Either way, I won't be taking part in this. I'll deal with Hiratsuka, so you don't have to worry about being scolded. Later, I suppose… or not." With those final words, he closed the door and left.

As the echo of his footsteps slowly diminished into silence, I found myself once more letting out a sigh. When Hiratsuka-sensei had made that request to me yesterday, I had agreed almost without a second though. In fact, even if she were to ask me again, I'm sure I would agree. However, … I had not expected that this request—that saving Hikigaya-kun, would be so difficult. I couldn't help but let my mind wander as memories resurfaced and made themselves familiar to me once more.

Is this what he constantly went through back then?

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Happy (late) Thanksgiving! Here's a chapter for all of you.**

 **Just as a quick note, I've gone back and done some formatting fixes along with a few other minor edits to the previous chapter. It's nothing major, but I thought to make a note of it regardless.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Slowly, But Surely, Spring Buds Begin to Bloom Beneath the Winter Snow**

* * *

"You… What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Good morning, Hikigaya-kun."

Much like I had the past two days, I had woken up earlier than usual and I put in some extra effort to head to Hikigaya-kun's house before school started. Much like he was yesterday, Hikigaya-kun seemed less than pleased to see me.

"No, no, no, no, no. You can't just show up at my house before school unannounced and act like… like nothing's wrong. Did I not stress this enough yesterday? I want _nothing_ to do with that club of yours."

"I didn't come here to force you to join, Hikigaya-kun, but I still have a request from Hiratsuka-sensei that I wanted to fulfill."

" _Oh_? And that would be?"

"I promised to be your friend."

"…Friends, huh?" His voice went quiet and a solemn expression settled on his features. He looked deep in though, his previous irritation all but having faded away at my words only to make way for… resignation? "Things like that… I don't need them."

"Onii-chan, you're still here— _ah_!"

We both turned our attention onto the newcomer. Dressed in her yellow pajamas, Hikigaya-kun's little sister emerged from their home, though she quickly hid herself behind her brother again.

"Good morning," I greeted with a bow. "I believe we met yesterday. My name is Yukinoshita Yukino. I'm a classmate of your brother."

"…"

"…"

Hmm. It was still no good, huh? Repeating yesterday's failures, it seemed that she was scared of me. I certainly don't remember doing anything that could have invoked such fear in her though. Hikigaya-kun spared his sister a concerned glance before motioning to me.

"Come on, Yukinoshita. Let's go—

"Um! G-g-… good morning…"

"" ! ""

I was a bit surprised by her sudden reply, but happy that she finally said something, no matter how quiet, though Hikigaya-kun seemed even more surprised than I was. Nevertheless, this was the breakthrough that I was hoping for.

"Um… my name is…"

"Hikigaya Komachi, yes? I've heard a bit about you from Hikigaya-kun and Hiratsuka-sensei, though not much. I'd be delighted to get to know you better though."

"Onii-chan and Onee-chan?... Ah! Then you must be that girl that Onee-chan was talking about—the one that was just like Onii-chan!"

"Just like… Hikigaya-kun?" It was true that Hikigaya-kun's actions that had greatly influenced me into the person I was today, though it was certainly embarrassing having been seen through so easily by someone I had really just met and having that pointed out. However, it was her sudden outburst that had really caught me off guard. Her excitement showed on her face and the words rapidly poured from her mouth, as if a dam had broken. It was a complete one-eighty from the shy quiet girl I had assumed she was. It wasn't a bad thing though.

"Yes, I suppose your brother certainly has done a lot for me. I might have aspired to be like him without thinking about it too much." Those might have been my darkest times, but they also held some of my dearest memories. A pleasant warmth flooded my chest as I recalled those days.

"!... Oi, Yukinoshita, are we going to school or not?" Hikigaya-kun muttered, breaking my reverie. His face was turned away, but the tips of his ears were dyed red. Was he cold? Certainly, April had arrived, but the temperature did occasionally drop low enough that anyone caught unprepared wouldn't want to be outside. In that case, he probably wanted to get to school already. Anyways, didn't he not want to go to school together in the first place? What was this nonchalant way of inviting me as if he didn't care either way? Geez… Well, anyways, I suppose this accomplishes my original goal.

"Yes. Let's go. Take care, Komachi-san."

"Um… Yukinoshita-san!"

"Yes?"

"Promise me… be good friends with my brother, okay?"

"!" Fu-fu. I see. I stood up straighter, as if the doubt that had plagued me since yesterday alleviated itself from my body. Perhaps this wouldn't be as impossible as I had thought. I couldn't help but smile as I held my little finger out towards the young girl before me. A look of surprise flashed on her face, but that was quickly replaced by her own cheeky grin as she took my pinky around her own.

"I promise."

" _Oi_!"

⁂

"Hey, Hikigaya-kun, can I ask what happened to you?"

Hikigaya-kun and I were currently on our way to school. Though there would normally be others taking this route to school, our early departure time had all but ensured that the road remained unoccupied. Aside from the two of us, there were very few others out walking. There was a girl around our age a good several meters behind us walking her dog, but my… aversion to those of the canine species made sure that I kept up a quick pace.

"Well, you know what they say. Genius at five, normal by twenty—something along those lines at least."

I wasn't asking about your grades Hikigaya-kun. Besides, you're the last person that should be saying something like that! If you're normal, what does that make everyone else?!

"Hikigaya-kun, I'm sure that you're fully aware, but that isn't what I meant."

"…"

"What caused you to change? Back then, didn't you say it yourself? What other reason is needed to help someone who looks like they're asking for help? Why are so you against helping others now?"

"Tch—It's none of your business," he responded, brushing me off. However, I wouldn't give up so easily—not now that I knew so many others were desperate to see the old Hikigaya-kun return like I was. I had no choice but to play the trump card I was given.

"It has something to do with Komachi-san, doesn't it?"

"!... And what makes you say that?"

It seemed that my assumptions had been correct then. Try as he might, the neutral expression that Hikigaya-kun wore faltered for the briefest of moments when I mention Komachi-san.

"Well… there's nothing concrete—just bits and pieces that I fit together; in other words, this is all merely conjecture, so you'll have to excuse me if I'm incorrect with my assumptions, but I do believe I'm onto something. The first clue was her reaction yesterday. I myself am not a "people person" so I understand not everyone is comfortable around those that they're unfamiliar with, but even then, her alarm at seeing me was a bit much wasn't it? I _know_ , I don't exactly give off an aura of friendliness, but even so, I don't consider myself to be a scary person either, don't you agree? More likely than not, your sister probably acts that way towards anyone unfamiliar. Then there was the fact that she was still dressed in her pajamas on both days I visited. I know I showed up relatively early, but like you and I, most would have been dressed for school by then. Like I said, it's not a lot, but based off the evidence presented, my thoughts seem to conclude that Komachi-san is… that she doesn't leave the house, does she?"

"And?" Judging by the scowl on his face, it seemed that I had hit the nail on the head. Regardless, he still hadn't given up. "Let's suppose that you _are_ right. What exactly does that prove? Everything you covered was about Komachi, but you made no mention of me."

Despite the somber nature of our conversation, a chuckle escaped from my lips. Did he honestly think I wouldn't realize it when he made it so obvious?

"Of course, there's one more thing that pieces it all together, Hikigaya-kun, and this piece _is_ about you."

" _Oh_? What would that be?" he growled out.

"Hikigaya-kun, you really care about your family, don't you?"

"!"

"You might not realize it yourself, but your love for your sister really shows; I noticed it even though we're only _'strangers'_ as you liked to put it. I find it hard to imagine that you wouldn't also be affected if something bad had happened to Komachi-san."

I found myself smiling as I watched the effects my words had on Hikigaya-kun's mood. I hadn't meant for our conversation to take on such a heavy turn, but it was something that needed to be confronted if I truly wanted to help.

"I… I can't believe you figured so much out from how little evidence you were provided. You… really have a way with words, don't you?" Hikigaya-kun sighed.

"Fu-fu-fu. I did get a perfect score on the entrance exam, you know?" I replied, beaming.

"Am I supposed to be impressed by that or something? Don't forget that I also got a perfect score on that _easy_ exam."

"No, no, no. Your expectations are just skewed way too high, aren't they? That's not something you would normally say as if we had watched the same show or had just beaten the same video game…"

"Oh? You play video games, Yukinoshita? I took you more as the no-nonsense type who stuck to more traditional forms of recreation."

"H-how rude! Even I've played a game or two before! As the face of Japan _is_ its culture, as a Japanese citizen, it's my duty to ensure that I'm at least familiar with such things." Well, he certainly wasn't wrong. Reading was my preferred form of leisure and what little time I spent on the net mostly involved looking at cat videos… In fact, my only contact with video games was years ago when Nee-san had egged me on into playing one with her, though she ended up doing most of the work anyways.

As our banter continued, I had found myself laughing along with Hikigaya-kun, something I admittedly hadn't done with another person, much less someone my age in a very long time. It was… pleasant, and I found myself enjoying Hikigaya-kun's company. Sadly, it came to an end. As our laughter died down, resentment tinted Hikigaya-kun's smile, deforming it into more of a regretful grimace.

"It's a long story, and honestly? It's not something I'm comfortable talking about with someone I just met, even with your claim. Anyways… we're pretty close to the school by now—enough that even _you_ shouldn't have any issues. I'll head to class first; best to avoid any weird rumors popping up on only the second day of school. Later."

I was a bit disappointed that I hadn't gotten anything else out of Hikigaya-kun, but I suppose it was too much to expect his whole life story after having only met again after three years, _and_ for less than three days no less. If anything, I had made good progress… hadn't I? Just as Hikigaya-kun had turned and was about to walk on ahead, a dire shout seized both of our attentions.

"Sable, wait!"

Turning, I pinpointed the source. The one who had shouted was the girl that was walking behind us. She was running desperately, though she was quickly tiring. It appeared her dog had gotten loose and was dashing around without its leash. It happily ran along, ignorant of the anxiety of its owner and the world around it.

However, by some stroke of misfortune, it decided to dart out onto the street, slipping beneath the guardrail that was stationing purposely to prevent people from doing so. You, worthless guardrail… it might have been a small dog, but what point in you being there if you don't even keep things off of the street? Adding onto that misfortune, a truck was rapidly approaching, and it was going much faster than appropriate for a school zone. At this rate, it was likely… no, it was certain that that do would be hit. I might have had a severe dislike of dogs, but even I wouldn't wish such a fate upon it. I couldn't even imagine the devastation that girl would feel upon seeing its lifeless body…

I've had a fear of dogs since I was young. After one particular incident, I wasn't even able to be near even the smallest of dogs for years. The fear has mostly subsided with age. Still, I'd rather avoid them if at all possible. But… if I didn't move now, then when would I? I tossed my bag aside and pushed myself over the guardrail.

"Yukinoshita!"

Landing on the other side, I used the ground to propel myself forward and sprint towards the small dachshund that had so carelessly wandered out. Scooping it up, I prepared to jump to the side. However, upon being picked up by me, it immediately began struggling, squirming each and every way to try and escape from my arms. Ah! Stop that! Don't lick my face!

*HONK* *HONK*

 _Ah_. In my attempt to keep the small dog from escaping, I had lost my chance to move out of the path of the truck. Time slowed to a crawl. I could tell that there was no way I'd be able to make it away safely. I pulled the small dog closer to my chest, closed my eyes, and braced myself for the impact.

Suddenly, a tight force wrapped around my body. I felt myself flying, but felt no pain. If anything, it was… warm. I was jostled by the impact of landing, but to my confusion, I didn't feel the cold asphalt ground, nor any searing abrasions as one would expect from sliding on asphalt. Rather, I slightly sunk into whatever I had landed on. Taking a moment to reorient myself, I slowly opened my eyes.

The first thing I saw was his lips, tightly pursed together. Moving my gaze up, I noticed his eyes were still tightly shut like I mine had been only seconds ago and his messily arranged hair was further disheveled by our sudden ordeal. He had one of his arms wrapped around the back of my head while the other was wrapped around my waist. They both held me close, likely having been what protected me after he had gotten both of us to the safety of the roadside. After all these years, even after all that he had said, he had saved me again, hadn't he? Yes… the one who had risked his life to save my own was Hikigaya-kun. I let out a content sigh as the adrenaline faded from my body. As the exhaustion took hold of my body, I gave in and let myself sink back into his chest.

…

 _Wait!_ This is wrong! I quickly sat up and pushed myself off of Hikigaya-kun. The dog we had saved had long escaped my grasp and was currently (and thankfully) running around Hikigaya-kun, licking his face. I used my freed up hands to cover up the rapid blush hat had no doubt colored by burning face by now. However, after several seconds of silence and no movement from Hikigaya-kun, I began to grow concerned.

"Hikigaya-kun?" I whispered, gently shaking his shoulder.

"…"

No response. I couldn't see any visible injuries, but his eyes were still closed and he hadn't responded. I was really worried now. Even if there were no visible signs of injuries, I hadn't seen what had actually occurred. If by some chance, Hikigaya-kun had gotten hurt when he pushed me out of the way…

"Hikigaya-kun! Wake up, please!"

"YOU, IDIOT!"

Shocking me back, Hikigaya-kun erupted. Though he was still laying on the ground and his arms covered his eyes, I had no doubt he was awake now.

"What kind of idiot jumps in front of a truck and risks their life to save a dog?! It wasn't even your dog! Do you even know that girl? This isn't some game where you can respawn or manga where the main character is protected by plot armor or gets reincarnated; this is real life—you don't get another chance! What were you thinking?!"

"I-I'm sorry. I... wasn't really thinking—my body just moved." I said, mumbling out my apology. I had seen Hikigaya-kun angry before but this time, concern was mixed in as well. I must have caused him a great deal of worry.

"You… just… moved?... I—I just… geez, I don't even have any words for you right now…"

As Hikigaya-kun continued to grumble, both the owner of the dog and the truck driver had rushed over to us, the former repeatedly thanking us, and the latter profusely apologizing. It wasn't all bad, I suppose. Hikigaya-kun's grumbling aside, we had managed to save the dog and everyone seemed fine. Looking on the bright side, it wasn't a bad start for Yukinoshita Yukino. Even after the dangerous situation I had just narrowly avoided, I found myself gradually laughing with a smile.

⁂

Despite Hikigaya-kun's attempts to hid it, it soon became painfully obvious that he had not escaped the incident entirely unscathed. At my insistence, and to his great reluctance, I helped Hikigaya-kun as we made our way to school. When we finally arrived, I went and informed Hiratsuka-sensei of what had occurred. At the drop of a hat, she had rushed the both of us off to the school infirmary for a check-up. Aside from a couple of small bruises, I had no real injuries and was deemed fit to attend class. Hikigaya-kun was not as fortunate. He had various cuts and scrapes on his sides and on his legs hidden beneath his clothing, some of them still moist and bleeding, a result of when he had taken the fall for the two of us. The school nurse insisted that he either stay and rest in the infirmary for the day or go home, though Hikigaya-kun tried to argue that he would be fine and attend class. At my earnest request, Hikigaya-kun reluctantly agreed to rest up in the school infirmary, at least until Hiratsuka-sensei was able to grab his spare uniform for him during lunch since his current one was covered in dirt and blood. Surprisingly, the normally level-headed Hiratsuka-sensei had been the most worried out of the three of us, insisting that she drive him to the hospital for an additional checkup, all whist fussing over him, making sure that he was comfortable and well cared for after she realized that she wouldn't be having her way. Perhaps this was the sibling-like bond they shared that Hiratsuka-sensei had spoken of. After I had made sure Hikigaya-kun had no intention of running off with his injuries, I made my way to class.

⁂

The rest of the day had gone by uneventfully, contrary to the heart-pounding morning I had experienced. The day seemed to drag on, the experience only worsened by the fact that I couldn't seem to focus during class. By the time that third period had rolled around, I had opted to watch the shower of flower petals that drifted through the wind in an attempt to keep my mind occupied. None of the teachers seemed to mind, though the events from yesterday morning might still have been lingering in their memories. Thankfully, I was already well acquainted with the material. If I found anything that I was unfamiliar with on the assignments, it would be a simple matter of going over the textbook.

Lunch finally rolled around and I took my chance to go visit Hikigaya-kun. Though he had insisted that he was fine this morning, the time he spend recuperating during our morning classes seemed to have helped ease his pain a lot. His injuries had been treated and bandaged, most of the color had returned to his face, and he no longer winced with every movement. My visiting time had been cut short however by Hiratsuka-sensei who had returned with a spare uniform for Hikigaya-kun. I decided it was best _not_ to stand around outside, waiting for a boy to change, and headed over to the clubroom where I could spend the rest of my lunch break in peace.

It seemed I had somehow managed to regain my focus during the lunch break as the rest of the afternoon classes went by without a hitch. I suppose I was just restless after everything that had happened. That time I had spent alone in the club room must have let me calm down. Yes, that was definitely the logical conclusion.

The academic portion of the school day finally came to an end, and students were released for club activities. Of course, club activities were entirely optional, but they _were_ highly recommended, and at a school like Sobu High, most students did participate in something. Still, there was the occasional odd-ones out that chose to head home straight away. I expected that Hikigaya-kun was one of those students. Somehow, Hikigaya-kun had slipped past me, almost immediately leaving the classroom as soon as we were dismissed. I did still have club duties to attend, so with no choice but to let him leave, I made my way to the club room for the second time that day.

I had kept the key to the club room with me after lunch so I was able to make my way directly there. There was no real need for equipment for the club, so Hiratsuka-sensei had provided me with a classroom that had been used for storage. A number of desks and chairs sat unused in the back, so taking advantage of my club resources, I moved one of each over to the window, before pulling out a book, and beginning to read. Time passed by quietly, the flipping of pages being the only sound heard as I quickly made my way through my book. The only visible indication of the passage of time was the effects of the setting sun on the lighting and the shadows that danced through the room. If it hadn't been for the bright, vivid oranges that had caught my attention, it was entirely possible that I would have stayed there forever, reading. With about ten minutes till clubs would start wrapping up, I had expected this to be an uneventful day for the service club, but a knock came from the door. Gently closing the book I had been reading, I prepared my full attention for my visitor.

"Come in."

The door slowly slid open, and my visitor nervously stepped in.

"…Yo."

"Hikigaya-kun," I exclaimed, unable to hide my surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I… wanted to apologize," he replied.

"Ah."

"…"

… _Hmm?!_

Though he tried to meet my gaze, he ended up looking away, rubbing the back of his head. His nervousness was contagious, as I too, found myself fidgeting.

"I said a lot of things to you—things that I still believe to be true… but things that I don't necessarily apply to you. People are selfish; they'll never do something if there's nothing to be gained. You're different though. When I said you were doing this for attention—well, I realize now how wrong I was. You… genuinely want to help people, don't you? For insulting you, I want to apologize."

Lowering his head, he bowed down before me. It wasn't a full prostration, thankfully; evidently, both he and I felt that that would have been too much. However, his formal waist-height bow and serious demeanor clearly demonstrated the seriousness behind his words. It was both impressive and overwhelming.

"Ah! Hikigaya-kun, please stand up. There's no need to apologies." While I was embarrassed by our situation, I honestly felt that there was no need for Hikigaya-kun to apologize. It was true that he had said something along those lines yesterday, but I had felt no real malice behind them—at least, not towards me. If anything, they felt more like a warning out of concern, so I had taken no real offence to his words.

"No, even an apology wouldn't be enough. That's why I want to give you this." Breaking out of his bow, he handed me a sheet of paper.

Taking the paper from his hands, I curiously looked it over. This was… no way?! Name… year… club? This was a club application form, and for the service club no less. It had been entirely filled out by Hikigaya-kun.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. Technically, I'm already a part of the club. I had a lot of time to think this morning thanks to a certain someone. I went to Hiratsuka-sensei straight after classes ended and asked her for membership. She gave me an earful, asking if I was serious and how she wouldn't allow me to leave, but what's done is done. This is only a copy, but I felt you deserved to see it nevertheless."

"But… why?" The words slipped out before I could stop them. I clasped my hands over my mouth, as if that would somehow cancel them out, but it was futile.

"Ouch… don't want me here? I know I'm not exactly the most likable person, but even I can be used for something." Though he laughed it off as a joke, my question seemed to have actually hurt him. I didn't know why, but if I didn't clear this up, something irreplaceable would be lost.

"NO! That's not it. I'd love to have you in the club, Hikigaya-kun." It wasn't a lie. I wasn't confident I knew _this_ Hikigaya-kun, but my younger self had vehemently admired the boy that grew up into the person before me. If even the smallest sliver of hope still existed in Hikigaya-kun, I was sure that he could be saved. It was just… when had that hope formed?

"You were so resolved to not involve yourself with the club. What changed your mind?"

"Ugh… do I really have to say it?" At my determined gaze and intense head nodding, Hikigaya-kun reluctantly gave in. "It… it was when you saved that dog."

"Huh?"

"When I saw you… After you rushed in… It was something I had forgotten… Augh! Never mind! What matters is I've decided to join the club, okay? Anyways, it's about time to wrap things up anyways, so I'll be taking my leave."

Ignoring my protests, Hikigaya-kun made his way over to the door before stopping.

"Oh, before I forget, don't show up at my house in the morning again, Yukinoshita. I'm in the club, so there should be no need for you to do that anymore, right?

Ah. I had almost forgotten. I had planned on breaking down Hikigaya-kun's resistances little by little which meant interacting with him as much as possible. Certainly, I hadn't expected Hikigaya-kun to join the club on the second day of his own accord. Most likely, if he hadn't reminded me, I might have just accidently showed up tomorrow. Still, there was one more person that I wanted to help.

"That's fine with me. However, there's something I want in exchange, Hikigaya-kun."

"Hmm? What's that?"

⁂

"Komachi, I'm home."

"Welcome back, Onii-cha—Ah!"

"Hello. It's good to see you again, Komachi-san."

"Ah… you're the Onee-san that came over this morning. Um… Yukinoshita-san, right?"

"Right!"

Though she almost immediately hid behind the couch upon seeing me, she slowly worked herself back into view as she recognized me.

Hikigaya-kun and I had agreed that there was no need for me to show up at his home so early in the morning. Still I wanted to get to know his younger sister, Komachi-san, better so Hikigaya-kun agreed that I could come over today after school. Apparently, according to him, Komachi-san never rarely talked with anyone aside from her family. They even had a hard time getting her to talk with a therapist, needing a family member to attend sessions with her. That's why he had been so surprised when Komachi-san willingly spoke to me after only two brief meetings. It was also why he had so readily allowed me to visit.

"Then… my request?!"

"Fu-fu-fu, that's right. We're—"

"Club mates."

I gave Hikigaya-kun a pout, but he averted his gaze to the side, completely ignoring me. Regardless. Komachi-san seemed happy, so I decided to let it slide. If fact, she was so happy, she jumped off the couch and hugged me.

"" ! ""

"Ah! S-sorry! I… don't know came over me…" She backed off, waving her hands in apology. Still, it was fine, wasn't it? I wrapped my arms around the frantic young girl before me.

"You two have been through a lot, haven't you?"

Though she stiffened at my initial touch, her guard eventually relaxed. Slowly, but surely, her hands wrapped around by back, returning my hug. She rested her head silently against my shoulder, but before I had realized it, her small frame was shaking. Despite the fact that we had just met—despite the fact that most would consider us little more than strangers, she had chosen to come to me. What choice did I have but to accept? I knew nothing of hardships she had gone through, but I stroked the back of her head while whispering to her words of reassurance and comfort. Though my words were nothing more than empty promises for now, they were all I had. I could only pray that they would be enough.

Thankfully, Hikigaya-kun had enough tact to look away.

⁂

An hour later, Hiratsuka-sensei returned. Though initially shocked by my appearance, after I told her what happened, she gave me a warm smile and thanked me for my efforts. Embarrassed, I insisted that Hikigaya-kun deserved a fair amount of credit as well, but she simply laughed off my jumbled stuttering and went to relax on the couch.

Since I was coming over with the intention of befriending Komachi-san, I decided to stay over for dinner as well. According to Hikigaya-kun, they were running low on ingredients at home, and Hikigaya-kun only knew how to make curry anyways, so we made a quick detour to the shopping district for some groceries before heading over to his house. Taking into consideration my family's wealth, I felt that it only made sense that I paid for a portion of the groceries, but Hikigaya-kun brushed me off and insisted that as I guest, it was my job to be treated.

In spite of his admirable words, I was the one who ended up cooking. Well, I wouldn't fuss too much. With Hikigaya-kun's limited repertoire of recipes, I decided it was best to just kick him out of the kitchen if I wanted an actual meal to be cooked. As Hikigaya-kun chose to settle down on the couch along with Hiratsuka-sensei, I had Komachi-san, who usually did the cooking in the house, help me instead.

Komachi-san was doing much better than she had been all day. In fact, her personality had completely turned around as we joked about her brother and many other topics. No traces remained of the scared girl I had met yesterday morning, nor of the one that had finally broken down in my arms only an hour ago. Instead, she had been replaced by a bubbly, smart, and perhaps, just a tad bit _too_ nosy, normal, average, middle school girl. There was no doubt in my mind. This was the real Hikigaya Komachi hidden and locked away beneath her shell.

"Dinner's ready," Komachi called, snapping me out of my thoughts and drawing Hikigaya-kun and Hiratsuka-sensei to the table. Together, the two of us had thrown together a rather simple, though in no way inadequate array of dishes. Our meal consisted of some miso soup they had left over in the fridge that we simply reheated, rice, a staple item in any Japanese meal, mackerel fillets that I had grilled, one for each of us, a simple salad composed of leafy greens and tomatoes, made by Komachi-san, and finally, a simple stew composed of root vegetables such as yams and lotus roots that the two of us worked on together.

""""Thanks for the food.""""

"Ah! This fish is really good…" Hiratsuka-sensei mumbled, the first to dive into her food.

"Hmm! You're right!" noted Komachi-san, agreeing whole-heartedly with Hiratsuka-sensei. By now, even Hikigaya-kun had taken a bite of his fish, and while he had made no comments, the sight of his chopsticks repeatedly picking off more chunks told me all I needed to know.

"I certainly didn't expect that a rich girl like you would be so competent with household chores, Yukinosita."

"I live alone, so at the very least, I do have to be able to take care of myself," I responded, ignoring Hiratsuka-sensei's rather carefree, yet insulting remark. She seemed to flinch at the last part of my statement, though she quickly recovered with another question.

"You're living alone? In that case, why don't you come over more often? It's better to eat together after all."

While I was glad that Hiratsuka-sensei had chosen not to dig any further into my personal affairs, her sudden proposal had certainly caught me off guard.

"Ah! Onee-chan! That's a great idea! How about it, Onii-chan?"

Without my input, Komachi-san had also agreed and instantly turned the pressure onto her brother. While I was sure that, Hikigaya-kun would be against it, after only a few seconds under his sister's pleading gaze, he let out a sigh.

"Well… as long as it's not _too_ often, I suppose it's fine."

 _Eh_?... _Eh_?... _Eh_? Somehow, in the blink of an eye, the demon king was already defeated? Just how fearsome is this little girl?

"Wait a minute! Don't I get a say in this?"

"Yukinoshita-san… are you saying… you don't want to?"

"Ah! No—it's just… aaah… Well, if everyone here is fine with it."

"Yay!"

Ugu— Sorry Hikigaya-kun. I seem to have looked down on you for being defeated so easily, but I understood now. This foe was simply too powerful.

With my resignation as a cue, the conversation moved onto other topics. Still whether the topics were school, work, or simply how their day was, their conversation was always lively with chatter and laughter. As awkward as I felt intruding on their intimate conversations, Komachi-san or Hiratsuka-sensei always did their best to pull me in. Either way, Hikigaya-kun didn't seem to mind, and in time, I felt myself naturally laughing along with the three of them. Perhaps… this was what it meant to be a family.

⁂

Dinner had long since wrapped up, but the three of us continued chattering away. Even Hikigaya-kun stayed, though at some point he had pulled a book out and started reading. Still, even time wouldn't stop for us. As the hands of the clock began to reach eight, I started gathering my belongings together, preparing myself to leave; it was in my best interests to end the night here if I wanted to get home, finish my homework, and head to bed at a reasonable time. I had wanted to clean up the dishes before I had left, but Hiratsuka-sensei volunteered herself with a strange amount of enthusiasm, so I decided to leave it to her.

"Hachiman, make sure that Yukinoshita gets home safely, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it."

I tried to refuse his offer, insisting that I would be fine by myself, but none of the three members of their family would agree with that, so in the end, I accepted his offer.

"Um! Yukinoshita-san. If possible… could I call you Yukino-onee-chan or Yukinee-chan for short?"

Just as I had slipped on my shoes, Komachi-san had asked me that question. That was surprising. I had always considered myself the younger sibling, endlessly chasing after the older one. All of a sudden, I was to become the older sister to a girl I had just met? Still, who could refuse such a cute little sister?

"Of course, Komachi-san."

"Ah! That's no good! Yukinee-chan, you're older than me so there's no need to be so formal. Just call me Komachi-chan or drop the honorifics entirely."

"I see. Then Komachi-chan it is."

"See? That's much better. See you again, Yukinee-chan!"

"Until next time, Komachi-chan."

"Oh, and Onii-chan!"

"What?"

"Don't stay out too late, okay? I know Yukinee-chan is pretty and all, and I totally approve, but high school students shouldn't be doing those sorts of things, okay?"

"Oi!"

Giving one last farewell, the two of us stepped out into the crisp, spring air of Chiba. The streets in the area were empty, no doubt a product of the time, but I was sure that we would be seeing a lot more people once we entered the main streets near the station. Still, at this moment—the two of us walking together silently, with no other sounds to be heard—I felt as if we were in our own little world.

"Hey, Yukinoshita."

"What is it, Hikigaya-kun."

"I... I wanted to thank you."

"For what? The dinner? If so, it was my pleasure."

"No—er well, thanks for that as well, but this is for something else."

Hikigaya-kun's words came to a pause, and I turned towards him, giving him my attention. From the way he had spoken his words, I could tell he was serious. Though he had a light smile on his face, his atmosphere seemed melancholic.

"Both Shizuka and I—neither of us were able to help Komachi when she needed it. That's why the only thing we can do right now is support her. Even though she acts fine at home, I can tell she's been really lonely. I'm sure she wants to go outside again, but she doesn't have the strength. Today though, after meeting you, she's already started to change. Because of you, I sure my younger sister has found pieces of her courage again. So thank you."

It wasn't just Komachi-chan then. All this time, both Hikigaya-kun and Hiratsuka-sensei had to watch as Komachi-chan suffered, causing them to suffer as well. It seemed that no matter what they had tried, they were unable to return Komachi-chan to her original self. If that was the case, then I could certainly understand Hikigaya-kun's mixed feelings about myself suddenly appearing in his life and accomplishing what he had tried so hard to do.

"Hey, Hikigaya-kun."

"What's up?"

"Are we f—"

"No."

Right~? There was no way that Hikigaya-kun of all people would agree so easily. Still, shutting a girl down before she had even finished talking—where was all that tact you displayed earlier, Hikigaya-kun? Noticing the painful contortion of my facial features, he let out a sigh.

"I said it this morning, didn't I? I don't need friends. Between friends and enemies, it's obvious which is more trustworthy. Your enemies hate you and will clearly stand against you, but with friends, there's no way to know why they would approach you. Whether its wealth, fame, or status, I can't believe that any human would try and approach another as friends without desiring something in return. That's why, I'm okay with what we have now. Agreeing to use and to be used—isn't it fine to have a such a clear cut and professional relationship? So, until the day that I'm ready… we'll just be club mates. Are you fine with that, Yukinoshita?"

I couldn't argue. The sorrow I had seen on his face as the words endlessly flowed out—they told more about his character then anything he had said during our entire time together. To the boy who had finally opened up his heart, I silently nodded my head in agreement.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hello, blank-san here.**

 **As their vivid, spring-time youth begins, my winter semester draws to an end. (✿╹◡╹)**

 **Only a week between this update and the last. Not to bad if I do say so myself. Ahaha, in no way is this foreshadowing several painful weeks of testing which will decide the fates of several of my classes. Yup. No way whatsoever. It's all sunshine and rainbows here.**

 **Edit: Just made a couple of quick ninja-edits on some formatting or word choices that I didn't notice the first time around. I also added in a small chunk in the last portion of the chapter, just under the last asterism that I felt needed to be there.**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Gradually, Yuigahama Yui seeks out her own path.**

* * *

"That took a while, Hikigaya-kun."

"Sorry," he replied, sliding the door closed behind him. "Hiratsuka-sensei had something she wanted to talk about and she ended up nagging me for longer than I had anticipated."

In the past two weeks of school, I had grown very familiar with Hikigaya-kun. Despite his reluctance to associate with other students, including those in our class, at the very least, he usually (and thankfully) didn't ignore me when I talked to him, and as a result, I had accustomed myself to his rather _unique_ way of thinking.

Adding onto that, because we were in the same class, Hikigaya-kun and I had gotten into the habit of heading to club together after school. Of course, Hikigaya-kun originally refused. He insisted that I head there before him for some reason or another, though I quickly grew tired of his antics and dragged him along anyways. His constant grumbling was slightly irritating at first, though he eventually accepted his fate and silently made his way to the club room with me.

Over the course of the past two weeks, I had quickly developed another habit: eating lunch alone in the club room. My speech for the opening ceremony seemed to have a much larger and longer lasting impact than I had expected and even after they had seen the more withdrawn persona that I typically wore, my classmates still bombarded me with questions and chatter whenever we had some free time. While I couldn't deny that I was just a bit happy with all the attention and that I responded to as I felt was appropriate, I simply wasn't an amicable person; large crowds, whether it be the excessive amount of chatter, the sheer volume of people, or some combination of both, tended to make me light headed. Still, there was one other thing. While I didn't want to accept Hikigaya-kun's beliefs, I also couldn't deny that the chattering of the classroom, the laughs shared by my classmates, their inexplicable need to approach me—it all felt slightly… wrong. Those of them that had agreed with Hikigaya-kun and mocked the other students in our year—weren't they also doing the same things? Regardless, I found the atmosphere of the classroom to be suffocating and the silence and tranquility of the club room too tempting to resist.

As such, after lunch was over, I kept the key to the club room on me out of convenience and because of that, the two of us were able to walk directly there after school. Today however, Hikigaya-kun had been called to the teacher's office after classes had ended, so I headed there first.

"So, what did you do this time?" I sighed, whilst grabbing a paper cup and pouring him some tea. After setting down his bag near the table we were using, he gratefully accepted the I handed him, taking a sip, only to recoil back.

"Why do you assume that _I_ did something wrong?" he countered, clumsily blowing on his tea.

"Hikigaya-kun. If you're asking whether or not I believe that you would be called to the office for any reason other than having committed a criminal offense, then the answer would certainly have to be no."

Gingerly, he once more took a sip from his cup. Seemingly satisfied this time, he slowly took a couple more sips before responding. "Well, whether something is right or wrong is objective. Unlike facts which can be backed by evidence, whether something is viewed as 'right' or 'wrong' depends on the person, doesn't it? History is written by the winners after all. Personally, I felt that I only spoke the truth in that essay."

Hey, Hikigaya-kun, wasn't that statement practically a confession of guilt?

"As the person who wrote it, your opinion obviously doesn't count. That would be like asking a person whether or not they consider themselves to be good looking; their own personal bias will only get in the way and befuddle the results. Objectively speaking, as the only other person in the room right now, knowing _your_ rotten personality, you probably offended a good majority of mankind with your paper, didn't you?"

"W-well, it's not my fault that humans are a truly repulsive race."

"No, I suppose not, but your rotten way of thinking that led you to that conclusion is no doubt a product of that twisted personality that both Hiratsuka-sensei and Komachi-chan have asked me to fix."

Deciding that I had wasted enough time listening to the usual filth that endlessly poured out of Hikigaya-kun's mouth whenever he did decide to open it, I returned my focus to the latest book that had piqued my interest before Hikigaya-kun had broken the silence. Similarly, he dug around his own bag, pulling out a noticeably thinner paperback novel before leaning back into his chair to read it.

Silence returned once more to the club room as the two of us became absorbed by our respective books. Occasionally, I would reach over to refill our teacups, but the only other movement was the shuffling of the pages. Again, the tranquility of the environment was something I found myself truly enjoying. This… really was turning into a literary club, wasn't it?

"You know, they say that you let out a bit of happiness every time you sigh," Hikigaya-kun noted upon hearing my rather hefty sigh. Be quiet, you. You're the last person on earth that should be saying things like that.

"So, what's up?" he asked, taking no notice of my internal rebuttals. Honestly, his response seemed more automatic than anything seeing as his tone of voice showed no indication that he actually cared. Still, since he was asking, I would gladly accept the chance to shovel my troubles onto him.

"It's just… we're the service club. It's our clubs purpose to help the students of our school with their problems. Yet, despite the fact that we offer this service free of charge, we haven't received a single client yet." That was discounting Hiratsuka-sensei, who was a teacher, and Komachi-chan, who wasn't a student of Sobu High, both of whom had made requests concerning Hikigaya-kun, of course.

"They say it's a good day when service men don't have a job to do."

"While I would normally agree with anyone else who said that, I can't help but feel that you only have ulterior motives behind that statement…"

However, as if to assuage my initial concerns, a knock sounded at the door, startling both myself and Hikigaya-kun. Slipping a bookmark between the pages I was on and doing my best to appear attentive, I responded. "Come in." Judging by the fact that they hadn't simply busted to door open by now, it was most likely not Hiratsuka-sensei paying us yet another visit.

The door slowly slid open, one foot carefully stepping in after the other. The owner, a girl, and a first year like us, judging by the color of her ribbon, slid in, stopping about halfway through the doorway. For some reason, she nervously glancing each and every way, as if she was expecting someone to pop up. Finally satisfied, she let out a sigh of relief before fully stepping into the room and closing the door behind her. Her relief was almost immediately interrupted though as she visibly jumped upon looking at us.

"H-Hikigaya-kun?!"

Ah, no doubt she had been surprised by the walking corpse that sat just opposite the desk from me. Still, it was surprising that she knew his name. Was she perhaps an acquaintance of his? No, I suppose most in the school were at least familiar with Hikigaya-kun after that stunt he pulled off during the opening ceremony. Still, it was best to ask.

"Hikigaya-kun, do you know her?"

"Oi, come on. Don't make such a cruel joke."

Ah. My apologies, Hikigaya-kun. Certainly, from now on, I'll do my best to take into consideration your rather pitiable circumstances when questioning you in the future. Still, this girl did seem strikingly familiar… Oh! Though her once chestnut brown hair had been dyed a bright pink color, wasn't she the same girl whose dog Hikigaya-kun and I had saved? Surprisingly, Hikigaya-kun had enough curtesy to offer her a seat despite claiming to not know her.

"Hmm… Yuigahama-san, was it?"

"Yes!" she replied, her previous gloom washed away by the fact that at least one of us recognized her. "Yuigahama Yui. I'm in class 1-F."

"Wow. I'm impressed, Yukinoshita. Do you know everyone in our grade or something?"

"Hikigaya-kun… I believe you are familiar with Yuigahama-san as well. We did save her dog the other day, after all."

"Uh… was there a person like that there?"

As I berated Hikigaya-kun for forgetting something so important that had happened so recently, the person in question spoke up.

"Wow… this club seems kinda fun."

Another heavy sigh escaped my mouth because of Yuigahama-san's rather thoughtless comment. "Not at all. It's unbelievably tiring for me to have to constantly watch over that wretched man over there."

"You know, if it really bothers you that much, you don't have to constantly try and rope me into things."

"Absolutely not. I promised both of your sisters that I'd fix that crooked way of thinking of yours. Besides, who knows what kind of mess you'd cause if I took my eyes off of you."

Yuigahama let out a nervous chuckle. "Hikigaya-kun really gives off a different vibe here, doesn't he? From the entrance ceremony, I thought he'd be totally mean or something, but it's more like, _Wow! He's can actually be friendly,_ ya know?"

"Oi, wait a minute. What's that supposed to mean?"

"Hikigaya-kun, there's no need to lie to yourself. It's okay if you don't have any friends."

"Right? With the way he talks and those scary eyes of his, me and my friends were joking about how Hikigaya-kun was totally a thug or something."

"Tch—slut."

"Huh?! What do you mean, _slut_? I'm still a vir—Ah! Never mind!" Her hands quickly clamped over her mouth, as if her lips were incapable of holding her words back. Still, it was quite obvious where she was going.

"Yuigahama-san, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. Rather, for our age, isn't that normal?"

"Hey, hey, hey! What are you talking about? We're in high school already, Yukinoshita-san. We've gotta drop it as soon as possible or else what does that say about your hotness level?"

Huh? Just what was this girl saying? That the value of a woman was based off of her looks and how easily they attracted men? I was well aware that my looks were well above average, but for me, whose beauty had brought nothing but trouble my whole life, her words only challenged my existence. I could feel my mood sour.

"What a superficial system of values."

" _Hotness level?_ " Hikigaya-kun added in. "Sounds like something a slut would say." While I normally wouldn't approve of Hikigaya-kun throwing derogatory terms at our classmate, I suppose I could let it slide just this once.

"You called me a slut again! You're such a creep Hikki!"

"Huh? Hikki? Aren't you the creepy one giving nicknames away to people you don't even know?"

"Argh! You're such a pain in the butt Hikki! Seriously, just go die!"

"…Don't say stuff like _Die_ or _I'll kill you!_ to people as insults if you don't mean it. If I catch you doing it again, I'll kill you."

Hikigaya-kun? Didn't you tell the entire school to die during the entrance ceremony? Didn't you just tell Yuigahama-san to kill herself just now?

"Oh. S-sorry… I didn't really—Hey, wait a minute! You totally just said it to me right there! Geez! You really are the worst, Hikki."

While watching Hikigaya-kun toying around with Yuigahama-san was certainly amusing, we had derailed ourselves from the original purpose of the club for far too long. "So, Yuigahama-san. What brings you here today?""

"Ah!" she cried, recalling whatever reason had brought her here. Her eyes flickered, quickly moving back and forth between the two of us. "Um… are the two of you… dating?"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" "HELL NO!"

This girl… just how much stress would she cause me in this single afternoon? In the first place, asking questions like that out of the blue, who does that? Is this what "normies", as Hikigaya-kun so rudely phrased it, usually do? As far as I was aware, our only previous meeting was that brief five minutes in the morning, yet here she was acting like we were… like _friends_ or something. Anyways, how did she even jump to that conclusion? Certainly, I admired Hikigaya-kun and the determination he displayed when we were younger. However, without that vehement admiration that had guided and shaped my character, I could say without a doubt I would never have considered an amiable relationship between myself and the Hikigaya-kun sitting here now.

"Our situation is… complicated. Hikigaya-kun and I went to the same elementary school, so we _are_ acquainted, but we didn't meet again until recently. Seeing as I'm the only person that can actually put up with him, I've been entrusted with watching over him. For now though, we're simply classmates."

"Ah… I see." She let out a sigh, most of her nervousness seemingly disappearing along with it. While I suppose it was a good thing that she had managed to become comfortable, her light giggling was beginning to annoy me.

"Is that all? If you have no other business here, Yuigahama-san, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave. Our club hours are strictly for our clients only, so if you only intended on chatting, you'll have to save it for some other time." _Well_ , it was true that despite having been two weeks already, Yuigahama-san had been the only student aside from Hikigaya-kun to show up, so it was unlikely that another student would show up on the same day. Still, I didn't know if I could (or would want to) listen to her shameful, incoherent babbling any longer. Between her and Hikigaya-kun, I wasn't sure which was worse.

"Ah! No! Actually, um… Hiratsuka-sensei recommended that I come here. She said that this club could grant my wish."

Hmm… If I recall correctly, Hiratsuka-sensei _was_ the homeroom teacher for class 1-F on top of her job as a modern Japanese teacher _and_ being one of the guidance counselors. She certainly had her hands full with jobs passed down to her by the administration. At the very least, it explained how Yuigahama-san had heard about our club. Still, Hiratsuka-sensei… what irresponsible things are you telling your students now?

"That's partially correct." Seeing Yuigahama-san's confused look, I continued to elaborate. "The service club works with students, helping them with their problems and needs. While I can't guarantee that we'll be _granting_ any wishes, the service club will do their best to provide students with the support they need to reach their goals. Whether or not those goals are feasible is another matter entirely."

"I see… that's like, totally cool! You guys are like knights or something!"

I wasn't entirely sure about that last part, but it seemed that Yuigahama had more or less gotten an idea of what we did. "So, what's this 'wish' of yours, Yuigahama-san?"

"Um! You see… I wanted… cookies…" Yuigahama-san's nervousness suddenly reappeared, causing her to stutter making it impossible to decipher her words. A quick glance in the direction she was looking was enough to guess the problem.

"Hikigaya-kun, if you could be so kind, could you leave the room for a couple of minutes?"

"Roger. In that case, I'm going to buy myself a drink, so take your time."

"Ah. If you're buying a drink, get me something as well." Our tea had long since run dry and my throat had grown quite parched due to the excessive amount of talking.

"Do I _really_ have to?"

"Consider it an order from your club president."

I waited for the grumbling Hikigaya-kun to close the door behind him before facing Yuigahama-san. Seeing as how she was nervously glancing at Hikigaya-kun earlier, I assumed it was something she didn't want him hearing, so I dismissed him. It seemed to have been the correct decision as Yuigahama-san let out a sigh once the door closed. At my encouragement, she began once more.

"Um… the truth is… there's a guy I like."

I see. I suppose this certainly isn't a topic a girl would want to talk about with a guy around. Still, if it was Hikigaya-kun, I was sure he wouldn't say anything. Rather, he didn't have anyone to tell in the first place so there really wouldn't have been any problems.

"I guess I wanted to confess, but he doesn't even really know me and from what I know about him, I'm pretty sure he'd just shoot me down anyways… But! I… I wanted to try and get closer anyways, so I was going to make him cookies. That's not too weird… is it?"

"No, not at all." After all the fallacious statements that had poured out of Yuigahama-san earlier regarding the opposite sex and male to female relationships, she had actually said something that I could approve of.

"The problem is… I don't know how to make cookies. In fact, aside from using the microwave and the rice cooker, I've never cooked at all."

Yuigahama-san. I hate to point it out but neither of those can really be considered cooking. She seemed down enough without my additional input though. It was probably for the best to keep my thoughts to myself. Still, the problems of today's youth were really showing here, weren't they? There were a multitude of reasons such as gender quality and the introduction of women into the work force, convenient and assessable technology, and a greater focus on higher education, but even then, as women, we should at least have some knowledge of the basics, lest we follow the path of a certain pitiable high school teacher. Even Hikigaya-kun, with his low social prospects aside, was at the very least able to do basic house work including cooking, his repertoire as limited as it was. Well, if it wasn't for Yuigahama-san's incompetence, who knew when the next time we would actually get a request would be.

"Baking, huh?"

"Ahaha… it's no good after all, isn't it?"

"Yuigahama-san. With something as simple as baking cookies, I'll have you master it by the end of the afternoon."

"C-Can you really do that?! Thank you so much Yukinoshita-san!"

"I'm back." Sliding the door open right as we had concluded our business, Hikigaya-kun walked back in, three drinks in his arms. He tossed a carton to me, which I gratefully accepted. If there was something I had learned about Hikigaya-kun in the past two weeks, it was that he was strangely obstinate about refusing to accept payment for things, a trait that greatly contrasted with his image and general preference of being alone. Still, I found out that trying to force payment on him was often more effort than it was worth and that it was simply best to accept his generosity. Inserting the straw in and taking a sip, I soothed my parched throat. It was a particular strawberry flavored fruit drink that I was fond of. Not bad, Hikigaya-kun. I suppose you were right about being useful for something.

As I silently enjoyed the fruit drink that Hikigaya-kun handed me, I watched as Yuigahama-san tried to pay Hikigaya-kun for the coffee he had voluntarily bought for her as well. Even though he had a daily spiel about hating people, when it came down to it, he usually didn't treat anyone _too_ badly. Honestly, did he hate people or not? Yuigahama-san finally relented against Hikigaya-kun's steadfast stubbornness and happily accepted the outstretched drink with a bright smile.

⁂

"Hah… how did it end up like this…?"

Sitting before us was one—er… two batches of freshly bakes goods, the one on the left, the one before me, perfect examples of cookies, while the one on the right, the one before Yuigahama-san was, to put it kindly, less than perfection. Needless to say, the ones made by Yuigahama-san were the ones sitting before her. Somehow, she had managed to roast the poor things to a blackened char even under my supervision and their dubious shapes made them seem closer to coal than any edible product that I had ever laid eyes on.

Completely ignoring Yuigahama-san's failed products, Hikigaya-kun grabbed one of the cookies that I had baked, popping into his mouth.

"Not bad," he mumbled out between chewing. "They're perfect, as expected, Yukinoshita."

"Ah… Hikki, um, could you try—"

"Absolutely not."

"I didn't even get to finish!?"

Hah… We were getting nowhere like this. The point of this exercise was to teach Yuigahama-san to make cookies. True, the ominous black aura that seemed to be radiating off of them urged every instinct in my body to stay at least several feet away, but they were still cookies, right? If we truly wanted to help Yuigahama improve, then tasting her creation was the first step.

"Hikigaya-kun, since you haven't done anything so far, at the very least, you can serve as the taste tester, no?"

"Oi, wait a moment, Yukinoshita. I agreed to be a _taste tester_ , not a _food tester_. You know, as in like, _poison_?"

"H-hey! What do you think you're calling poison… they're not… right?" Though she started her objection rather loudly, Yuigahama-san herself seemed to question the edibility of her own cooking. Upon seeing her dejected expression, Hikigaya-kun reluctantly picked up one of the more intact pieces. Though I had shoved the task off onto him, my sense of responsibility regarding the whole situation ensured that I picked up a piece as well. Following our example, Yuigahama-san hastily grabbed one. Sharing a glance with the other two, as if on signal, we nodded before shoving the pieces into our mouths.

 _Ah. So this was how I died. Not by old age and not by traffic accident, but by food poisoning, huh?_

As the black lump touched my tongue, I instantly regretted my decision to partake in Hikigaya-kun's suffering. As expected from its appearance, it was burnt black beyond belief, and the burnt taste combined with the absurd amount of instant coffee that Yuigahama-san had somehow managed to dump in while I wasn't looking created an indescribable bitterness that was ten times stronger and harder to swallow than any of those ancient folk remedies. I tried to chew it and break it apart, so I could force it down as soon as possible, but it felt like I was biting into a rock. I finally managed to break it apart somewhat only to be rewarded by clumps of flour that hadn't been properly broken apart and even a small piece of eggshell. Forcing myself to swallow, I could only pray that that would be the end of the torture. Yuigahama-san's cookies only brought one word to my mind. _D-disgusting!_

"Ugh... These are super bitter and totally gross…" At least Yuigahama-san wasn't running away from reality. I doubted there was anyone in the world who could eat these "cookies" and go, _Delicious!_

Unfortunately, the taste lingered on my taste buds, even after I had rid my mouth of the foul horror Yuigahama-san had concocted, and the juice that Hikigaya-kun had purchased for me had been finished off several minutes earlier. Thankfully, we were in the home economics class room. Quickly bringing a kettle of water to a boil, I made a pot of tea for the three of us to cleanse our palates. Well, I shouldn't be too hard on her. She did try after all.

"Yuigahama-san, cheer up. I'm sure they're not too bad as long as you don't let them touch your tongue and you wash it down with something as soon as possible."

"Yukinoshita, that wasn't your attempt to cheer her up, was it? You basically just told her what every mother tells their child when they're forced to eat something disgusting."

"Ah… W-well, that aside, let's discuss what we can do to improve Yuigahama-san's cooking."

"Hmm… Never letting Yuigahama into the kitchen again?"

"They were that bad?!"

"Hikigaya-kun, I'm sure there's a couple of other solutions we can try before we resort to that."

"That's actually a solution?!" Her shoulders drooped from the unrestrained opinions of Hikigaya-kun and I. "I guess I'm really just not cut out for cooking, am I?" It was probably best if we stopped teasing Yuigahama-san before we went too far, though knowing Hikigaya-kun, he might have been completely serious.

Still, a solution to make Yuigahama better at cooking? As with most things, cooking was a skill. Unless she was naturally talented (which she wasn't, I can guarantee), there was only one way to get better.

"Please don't give up so quickly. There's no shortcuts in real life. If you want to get good at something, it's a given that you'll have to practice."

"B-but like… trying hard and stuff like that… no one does stuff like that anymore… Everyone thinks its lame and all…"

This girl… Just how much longer would she continue to irritate me? If everyone just gave up and ran away, nothing would be solved. Why didn't she understand that? As unpleasant memories began to resurface, a hot irritation prickled at my chest, threatening to burst out.

"Yuigahama-san." I was doing my best to keep calm, blocking the vexation from my voice, but that only make the words I spoke that much colder. "Could you please stop trying to conform to the standards of those around you? It's repulsive. Aren't you ashamed of yourself, blaming others for your own clumsiness and indecisiveness? People who don't even put in the minimum amount of effort have no right to be jealous of those who have 'talent'. Perhaps if you had put in even a hint of effort, you wouldn't have failed so miserably."

My sudden outburst was met with silence.

Ah. Perhaps… did I go too far? That was strange. It wasn't like me to get so heated up by someone I barely even knew.

…

No, I knew why. Her weak-willed attitude, her inability to do anything by herself, her desire to get along with others and not stand out—they all reminded me of the one person that I hated the most. Myself. In my attempt to reject the weak little girl that had desperately latched onto those around her, I had let out my anger on Yuigahama-san instead.

Ashamed by my own lack of self-control, I was fully prepared to apologize to Yuigahama-san. However, when I looked up to face her, the girl whom I had assumed was weak was neither afraid nor angry. In fact, both Yuigahama-san and Hikigaya-kun were staring at me with looks of astonishment. What, did I say something strange?

" _You with your lifetime of failures, would mock others— those who tried harder and flew higher only crash down because of the scale of what they had tried to accomplish. That, is what makes you hypocrites… but you would never accept that as the truth._ "

 _Ah_.

…

AH!

Didn't I basically just say the same thing that Hikigaya-kun did for his speech?! Even though I constantly berated him for his twisted beliefs, what was I saying?! Was I spending too much time with Hikigaya-kun? When did he manage to infect me with his stupidity?

"You're so… so cool…"

" _Huh?!_ W-wait a minute, Yuigahama-san. Did you even listen to what I said? I believe I said some pretty harsh things."

"Ah! N-no, you did, but… you were right, I think. I mean, even now, just thinking back on it, it was pretty scary, ya know? But… it was the truth, wasn't it? In fact, the both of you always say what's on your mind, never holding back. I always try to fit in so I could never imagine doing something like that, but… I really do think that that was cool." Giving a light bow, she apologized. "I'm sorry. I won't make up excuses anymore. Please teach me, Yukinoshita-san."

I was left dumbfounded. Based off of how she acted, I completely expected her to act like my younger self and break down crying. Perhaps I had misjudged Yuigahama-san. Thankfully, Hikigaya-kun was there to help fill in the silence.

"Oi, Yukinoshita, make sure you watch her properly this time. And as for you, Yuigahama, make sure you're paying attention. I doubt you'll find a better chef in the school."

Perking up, she gave a quick salute. "Aye aye, sir!"

⁂

"Well… they're certainly better than the last batch, at least."

"Uguu…"

Lined up on the counter was Yuigahama-san's second batch of cookies and the third overall. While they certainly resembled cookies much more than the coals she had produced the first time around, there was still much lacking when compared with the cookies that I had baked. Just a quick glance, and one was able to discern slight burns marks on several of them, and most of them were falling apart from their dryness. Well, we had already tried Yuigahama-san's other failed creation and nothing at this point could possibly be worse than that.

"Taste tester-kun, it's time for you to do your job."

"Oi, what's with that nickname?" Despite his retort, Hikigaya-kun went ahead and grabbed a piece, much more willingly this time, I might add, and popped it into his mouth. Following suit, Yuigahama-san and I each took a piece as well to get a feel for how her latest creation had went.

Hmm. If we had to compare it to her last attempt, it was certainly better by leaps and bounds, but it was basically choosing the lesser of the two evils. If I really had to label it, it would just barely fall into the cookie category. She hadn't properly melted the butter before she had added it to the flour and her poor mixing skills had left the batter dry and clumpy resulting in cookies that were simply unpleasant to eat. They were certainly sweet this time, but that was only after I had quickly snatched the salt from her hands, forcefully switching it with sugar instead. She had also poured in far too much vanilla extract, making an outlandish claim like, _since it smells so nice, it's gotta make the cookies taste better, right?_ To add onto my woes, when I had turned around for only a few seconds to check the time, Yuigahama-san had tried to add an entire can of peaches, claiming something about 'subtle flavoring' or what not. Thankfully, Hikigaya-kun managed to stop her before she did any irreparable damage. Even under my watchful eye, this was the result?

"They're still no good, huh?" Yuigahama noted with a bitter smile.

"Well… I certainly can't expect you to suddenly improve, especially if this was your first real experience with cooking. If anything, I'm impressed by your resolve, Yuigahama-san. It's unfortunate that you weren't able to produce anything satisfactory today, but I promise you we can come back tomorrow and continue until you get it right."

"Ah! Did you really mean that Yukinoshita-san? Thanks!" Her eyes sparkled upon receiving my complement. W-wait, don't look at me like that. It's not like I've done anything yet! Though I was desperately trying to keep her off of me, it was Hikigaya-kun that finally stopped her.

"Hey, Yukinoshita. Why are you trying to make good cookies?"

 _Huh?_ Hikigaya-kun, did you hit your head or something?

"What? What are you talking about Hikki?" Yuigahama asked, voicing my own thoughts.

"Wait… you seriously don't know? Yukinoshita?"

"What are you getting at, Hikigaya-kun?"

An annoyingly smug grin formed on his face that seemed to say, _Hoh? The great Yukinoshita herself is clueless?_ Seriously, I'd deal with him later.

"Give me just ten minutes," he boasted. "I'll show you _real_ homemade cookies."

"Argh! Why are you acting so high and mighty?! Fine, let's go, Yukinoshita-san." Dragging me along, Yuigahama and I vacated the room. While I was perfectly satisfied with spending the next ten minutes in silence, Yuigahama, evidently, had no intention of doing so.

"Hey, Yukinoshita-san. Did you know that Hikki could bake?"

"No, not at all." As far as I was aware, the only thing he was capable of cooking was curry. Of course, I got that information from Hikigaya-kun himself, so he could have been lying, but I could see no logical reason as to why he would do so. If anything, judging by that cocky grin he had on his face earlier, he had something else planned.

"Hikki's cookies huh? I wonder how they'll taste…" Yuigahama mumbled. There was a distant look in her eyes, evidence pointing to the fact that she was most likely spacing out. Still, it was surprising that Yuigahama was able to interact with Hikigaya-kun, especially considering the meek girl she had shown herself to be.

Whether it had been his intention or not, Hikigaya-kun was no doubt, the most hated individual at Sobu High. Most of the girls tended to avoid him, quickly shuffling to the side whenever they saw him and most of the guys often sent him nasty glares and rude gestures. The hatred had mostly died down by now, as Hikigaya-kun thankfully hadn't done anything else to aggravate the entire student body, but most tended to avoid associating with him. In that regard, that was another misconception I had about Yuigahama-san.

"Oi. You two. I've finished, so you can come back in." Heeding his call, the two of us returned to the room.

Hikigaya-kun stood proudly in front of a batch of cookies. Upon closer inspection though, they were nothing to be proud of. The shapes were lumpy and inconsistent, and I noticed burn marks on a few as well. They were also cold. There was no way he had just baked these.

" _These_ are your cookies?"

"Hah! Even though you were acting so tough earlier, aren't your cookies actually worse than mine, Hikki?"

"H-hey, come on. Don't be like that. Just try one." Though he was suddenly acting all timid for some reason, I could see the smug smile he wore earlier tugging on the corner of his lips. Just what was he up to?

"Fine." Taking one of "Hikigaya-kun's cookies", Yuigahama-san popped it into her mouth, slowly chewing it with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"It's not bad…" Yuigahama said between bites. "But I wouldn't say it's good either…"

"Ah… I see… Even though I worked so hard… In that case, I'll just throw them out then."

"Ah! W-wait! They're not like, super good or anything, but it's a waste not to eat them, right? You don't have to throw them away."

"So you're satisfied with them?"

She nodded.

His cocky smirk returned with full force. "Good. They're your cookies after all."

"Huh?!"

"Hikigaya-kun," I interrupted, "what exactly was the point in this whole farce?"

Waggling his finger back and forth, Hikigaya-kun took on a classic villain pose. "Tch, tch, tch. You still haven't figured it out, Yukinoshita? Well then, let me help you out. You were too narrow minded. The goal of hurdling isn't to jump the hurdles, Yukinoshita. Whether you trip over them, crawl under them, or simply barrel through them, in the end—"

"That's enough. I understand what you're getting at." I cut Hikigaya-kun off as I had more or less understood what his point was. Besides, his over-inflated ego didn't need to get any bigger. "So what you're saying was I was focusing on the wrong thing?"

"Correct. What matters when it comes to homemade cookies isn't the taste, but rather the homemade aspect itself. Yukinoshita, your cookies were no doubt patissier level goods. But therein lies the problem. They're _too_ perfect. Perfect shapes, perfect looks, perfect taste. If I hadn't watched you makes them in front of me, I'd have assumed that they _were_ store bought. Your cookies are too cookie-cutter! In that case, between your perfectly made cookies and Yuigahama's massively flawed ones, hers are _technically_ the better homemade cookies."

"You're saying it's better if they're bad?" I confirmed, ignoring his terrible pun.

"Definitely. It's better to taste just a bit bad while emphasizing how hard you tried. That way, he'll be under the tragically false impression that, _Oh, she tried so hard for me!"_

"Are you sure?" Yuigahama asked hesitantly. I too, had a hard time grasping the concept, so Yuigahama-san's confusion was understandable.

"There's… this guy that I know. A long time ago, when his little sister was first starting to learn to cook, she tried making everything for him. Of course, she had only just started learning, so everything she cooked was pretty bad, whether it was under cooked, under seasoned, or just plain inedible. Still, this was his little sister we're talking about, so he ate everything she made because no matter how bad it tasted, she was having fun. Well, after our mother found out, she taught her properly, but I still had to endure a month of that torture."

"Uwah…" Yuigahama mumbled, "I thought something was weird, but it was about Hikki after all. That was a bit…"

"Creepy?" I supplied. I'd definitely have to check up on Komachi-chan later to make sure Hikigaya-kun wasn't doing anything sinister to her.

"N-no! It wasn't," he frantically denied. "Look, the point of that story was to show you how dumb and simple guys are. As long as hint that you put some effort into it, I'm sure he'll naturally start coming up with a bunch of misunderstandings all on his own."

"Hmm… If a girl put in that effort for you, would you fall for her Hikki?"

"Hmm? If a girl like that existed, yeah, sure. I'd fall for her in a heartbeat."

"I see…" It was a light whisper, so it seemed that Hikigaya-kun didn't notice, but I who stood next to Yuigahama was able to hear it. "Well then, thank you for all your help, Yukinoshita-san."

"It was my pleasure, Yuigahama-san, but what about your request?"

"I think… I'll try and find my own solution. From now own, I'm going to try my best to come up with my own answer!" Grabbing her bag, she headed out the doors. "Bye! See you tomorrow!" She had left so quickly she didn't even take off the apron I had put on her. In fact, she hadn't cleaned up any of the mess that she had created.

With a glance and a nod, the two of us shared a sigh before gathering up all the utensils that had been used over the course of the afternoon. The sound of running water pervaded the room as Hikigaya-kun and I washed the dishes, with Hikigaya-kun scrubbing them and myself rinsing and drying them. We worked in quick, but methodical fashion and the with the pace of our work, I found my hands going into an autopilot mode as my mind replayed the events of that afternoon.

 _Yukinoshita, your cookies were perfect._

 _It's almost as if they were store bought._

 _Yuigahama's are the better homemade cookies._

No… he was simply saying those things to guide Yuigahama-san, right? After all, hadn't I personally seen how much he enjoyed my cooking? He even verbally acknowledged my skills, something that Hikigaya-kun rarely did.

Still…

"Hey, Hikigaya-kun."

"Hmm? What's up?"

"Is it fine if I come over today? I'll be cooking of course."

⁂

After a sudden deviation from our standard club practice the other day, we spent this afternoon as if nothing had happened at all, returning to our usual club duties of reading and drinking tea. _Wait! Rather than reading, wasn't that actually the true purpose of our club?!_ Well, without clients, we weren't able to perform our club duties regardless, so it was inevitable that Hikigaya-kun and I fell back into our usual habit. About an hour and a half had passed since school ended and it was nearly time for the clubs to begin wrapping up as well. I was expecting no visitors again today, with what had happened the other day a mere coincidence, so I was certainly surprised when our door was knocked on again so soon.

"Yahallo!" Pulling open the door with greeting, the complete opposite of how she had acted not so long ago, Yuigahama-san rudely stepped into the room without even waiting for a response.

"…What is it?" I heaved out with a sigh. Let's just ignore her… _strange_ greeting for now.

"Huh? Are you angry, Yukinoshita-san? You don't hate me do you?!"

Yuigahama-san certainly did manage to test my upper mental capacity and higher levels of tolerance with all the agony she had forced me to endure. Still, I couldn't hate her as she wasn't doing it on purpose (most likely), but if at all possible, I'd like to avoid her as much as possible in the future. "I don't hate you. I just… find you difficult, maybe."

"Isn't that practically the same thing for girls?!" she wailed. Her voice was reaching pitches even higher than I knew were possible, and I was quickly beginning to revise my opinion regarding whether I liked or disliked Yuigahama-san from around somewhere in the middle towards the lower end of the scale.

"So, why are you here?" I asked, hoping that she would finish up whatever business she had and quickly leave.

"Ah. Well, I'm like super into cooking right now, aren't I."

"Eh… That's news to me." Ah. It seemed thoughts leaked out. Still, as if she hadn't heard the disinterest my voice, Yuigahama-san continued on.

"Right? So I wanted to pay you back for the other day. I tried making cookies and I thought they turned out pretty good, so I was wondering if you'd want some?"

My stomach dropped at the mention of Yuigahama-san's cookies. After her original batch, the ashy charred taste stained my tongue, making it hard to properly taste anything for the next day. "Ah… I don't really have much of an appetite right now, so I'll have to pass. I appreciate your sentiments though."

Completely ignoring my polite refusal, Yuigahama-san dug around her bag before pulling out a small cellophane baggie with her "cookies" inside and shoving it into my hands. "Man, that sure was fun. Oh! I wanted to try making a bento as well, so let's have lunch together Yukinon!"

"Ah, no, rather, I enjoy eating alone, so I'd prefer that you didn't… Also, please don't call me 'Yukinon', it's sickening."

"What?! No way! Don't you get lonely? Where do you eat, Yukinon?"

"In the club room but… hey, are you even listening to me?"

"Oh! And I'm not in any clubs or anything like that so I wanted to help you guys after school! I guess this is like a thank you sorta so you guys don't have two worry at all!"

This girl seriously wasn't listening to a word I was saying. As a last ditch plea for help I turned to Hikigaya-kun. He already had half a foot out the doorway.

"Later."

 _You, traitor!_

"Ah, Hikki, wait!" Fu, fu, fu. It looks like I wouldn't be suffering alone today after all, Hikigaya-kun! However, Yuigahama-san simply tossed Hikigaya-kun another bag of her cookies. "S-since you helped out and all, h-here."

"Oh? Thanks. But don't call me Hikki."

With Hikigaya-kun closing the door behind him, that left me trapped alone in here with Yuigahama-san. Let's see here, only thirty more minutes on the clock. I wonder if I could close down early today and tell Hiratsuka-sensei something like, _It's not like we ever get clients anyways_. To my pleasant surprise though, Yuigahama quietly took a seat next to me. Well, I say quietly, but she was humming a cheery tune. At the very least, she wasn't forcing herself onto me again, so I was grateful for that.

Not quite as annoyed by Yuigahama-san as I had expected to be, I decided I could at least give her a quick evaluation of the cookies that she had made. Ah, black again, I see. _I do enjoy the taste of burnt_. Still, didn't she say that she was going to give cookies to the person she liked?

"Hey, Yuigahama-san. If you baked these cookies by yourself, does that mean that you gave them to that person already?"

"Ah! Yukinon, geez…" She was swaying back and forth, holding her hands to her cheeks, the red on her face a clear sign of her embarrassment. Why were you acting like some bashful school girl now?! You were completely fine bringing up some rather obscene topics the other day! Hah… It was completely pointless trying to predict what Yuigahama-san would do next. It be much less stressful if I simply stopped worrying so much about what she said and instead just accepted it.

"Actually, Yukinon, you see, the truth is… the guy I like is… H-Hikigaya-kun! Ah! I finally said it!"

"Hmm… I see." I took a closer look at the cookies she had handed me. Did she somehow actually manage to take a step back? I was pretty sure the cookies she had made the other day weren't this burnt, were they?

…

Wait.

…

"WHAT?!"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hello, blank-san here, presenting you with another chapter.**

 **Well, I call it another chapter, but a majority of it was based off of preexisting canon material so it wasn't like I had to work very hard on it anyways. Still, it's the longest chapter I've written for this story so far as well as having probably the most time I've spent consecutively working on something all at once, and boy, I never want to have to sit down for that long typing and editing again (Haha, I wish).**

 **Anyways, with the semester closing up, this will be the last chapter for a while, but I do have something planned out that hopefully, I'll be able to push out in time. Look forward to it!**


	6. Chapter 4-1

**Chapter 4.1: The Hardships of Hiratsuka Shizuka**

* * *

" _Hello?"_

" _Ah, Yukinoshita? Are you free this Sunday? There's something I could use your help with."_

" _Hiratsuka-sensei? I didn't have anything planned, but—"_

" _Great! I'll pick you up at around nine in the morning. Make sure you're up by then. Oh! Just making sure, but the current address where you're living is the one you have listed with the school right?"_

" _Yes, but—"_

" _Thanks, Yukinoshita! I'll see you then!"_

"…"

⁂

"Yo! Morning, Yukinoshita!"

"…"

Standing outside of my apartment complex as she had said at nine-ten in the morning, Hiratsuka-sensei gave me a cheerful wave. Just how was she so energetic? I made an effort to wake up early on school days, but even I preferred to sleep in on weekends or during breaks.

"Hey, why're you looking so worn out? We haven't even started yet." _I'm sorry, but whose fault do you think that is?_ "Here, perk up. This'll get you awake." Fumbling, I barely caught the can Hiratsuka-sensei had lobbed at my face. I sent her a cross glare, but she seemed oblivious to my displeasure, or at least, indifferent to it. With a sigh, I turned the warm can in my hands around so that I could read the label.

MAX… Coffee? I had never heard of the yellow canned drink, but I suppose that wasn't surprising. Typically, I preferred to drink tea while at home, coffee being something I only usually consumed whilst out at a café, something as equally unlikely. Opening up the still warmed drink, I cautiously took a sip.

!

 _Sweet?!_

Gagging on the sickly drink, I nearly spit out the coffee in a coughing fit. Who in their right mind would sweeten coffee to this extent?! Much like how an abundance of salt made seawater taste bitter, the amount of sugar contained within this can was enough to warp what should have been a mild sweetness into something much heavier and incredibly nauseating. It would have been more accurate to call the canned product a coffee flavored syrup rather than coffee. I felt an immediate immense concern for any individual unfortunate enough to have been bestowed with taste buds that could actually enjoyed this.

"Oi, Yukinoshita, hurry up and get in. We don't have all day."

As disgusting as I felt the drink was, it was probably best that I didn't throw away Hiratsuka-sensei's only show of goodwill after she had woken me up so early. It _had_ successfully done its job of rousing me after all, though whether or not it was due to the caffeine was another matter entirely. Taking another slow, reluctant sip, I made my way over to where Hiratsuka-sensei had parked on the sidewalk.

⁂

The trip was quiet, with Hiratsuka-sensei refusing to tell me what exactly she needed my help with, insisting it was a surprise. With neither of us talking, I chose to pass the time by watching the passing Chiba scenery and by losing myself in my thoughts.

Though I was slightly apprehensive regarding Hiratsuka-sensei's rather volatile personality and how well that would translate into her driving skills, she was actually an incredibly safe driver, never going over the speed limit and triple checking before she turned, a fact made only more surprising by the car that she owned. I was no expert on cars, so while I wouldn't be able to tell you the exact model, I did know that it was a sports car, a type of vehicle typically associated with less _savory_ types of individuals in terms of driving etiquette.

Taking no note of my inner musings, Hiratsuka-sensei happily hummed along with the songs she had on. They were upbeat and cheery, though most of the lyrics had me stumped. The future? Courage? Hopes? Dreams? Hiratsuka-sensei certainly had a rather… eccentric taste in music. The rest of the car ride proceeded in a similar fashion as I directed my gaze out my window and Hiratsuka-sensei hummed along to sky-colored days.

⁂

"Right, Yukinoshita. Here we are."

Stepping out the car along with Hiratsuka-sensei, I took in the site of the building before me.

"This is…?"

"Tada! It's my house! _Fu-fu-fu_ … So? Are you impressed?"

Forget being impressed; I was completely shocked. Certainly, Hiratsuka-sensei was an independent adult, but I had fallen under the impression that she practically lived with the Hikigaya's considering how often she seemed to frequent the place. At the very least, for her own home, I wouldn't have expected that she'd need anything larger than an apartment like what I lived in. However, the house before me was a large traditional Japanese styled home that overshadowed even the relatively well-sized Hikigaya residence.

"Hiratsuka-sensei… you didn't sign some kind of questionable loan with shady individuals… did you?"

"Oi, Yukinoshita, just what kind of adult do you think I am? I'll have you know that I completely own this house, no loans, no debts, no nothing. Anyways, quit standing around outside and head in already."

Heeding her works, I stepped inside. As I stepped into the entryway, I was overcome by the sense of tranquility the home seemed to offer. Much like the exterior, the interior of the house was styled in the traditional Japanese fashion. The entryway, a small tiled area, or the _genkan_ , marked a visible distinction between the outside and the inside of the home. It was by stepping up, onto the raised floor, that one could access the rest of the house. Hard wood panels lined up creating the floor and _shōji_ , sliding doors made bamboo and paper, partitioned off parts of the house creating an immediate hallway after the entrance, with the two central doors open, leading into what I assumed served as the living room, and the hallway diverging left and right to the rest of the household.

Again, I was surprised. The rowdy image that Hiratsuka-sensei had formed within my mind completely contradicted with the peaceful, Japanese styled home. For example, the sports car that she drove earlier, while it should have by all means been out of her price range as a teacher, definitely fit her personality to a T. Still, along with the surprise, I suppose I was a bit impressed as well with Hiratsuka-sensei. I certainly didn't dislike the style of the home. At the very least, I had already formed a more favorable impression of the place than the stuffy mansion that my own family owned.

"Hey, quit gawking; we've got work to do."

Removing my shoes, I accepted the pair of slippers that Hiratsuka-sensei handed me, slipping them on and stepping into her home. I then followed her lead, stepping through the two opened doors that stood directly opposite of the entrance.

 _Ah. On second thought, this is definitely, without a doubt, the home of Hiratsuka Shizuka._

The room that we had entered was, as I had guessed the living room with an attacked kitchen towards the side. Nothing in the room gave off the serenity I was sure I had felt only moments earlier. Beer cans and other assortments of trash were present on every possible surface, covering the kitchen counters, the dining table, the kotatsu, and even spilling onto the tatami mat floor. Dishes filled the sink and enough trash was jam packed into the garbage can that the normally closed lid was propped open. Much of the furniture, most of which seemed to be antique or high quality otherwise was fitting of the Japanese motif and should have added on to the refined image of the home, but they were carelessly strewn around and unaligned, only giving the room a messy feel. A part of me could only pray that the rest of her home didn't look like this.

"Hiratsuka-sensei… you brought me here for…?"

"Right! I needed you to clean my house for me. Don't worry, I'll pay you for your work… with food, of course."

"And… why are we cleaning your house again?"

"Huh? Do I need a reason to want to keep my own house clean?"

She gave me a blank look as if I was questioning the most natural thing in the world. I had a feeling she had just completely destroyed a really important line, but… _hah_.

"Hiratsuka-sensei, I think, perhaps, you misunderstood my question. I meant to ask why am _I_ cleaning your house? While I am the president of the service club, I have a hard time justifying this as club activities and I think you should remember that the service club exists to help _students_ with their problems. Aren't you abusing the service club just a bit too much?"

"Oh, come on, don't be like that. I am your club advisor after all. Besides Hachiman is here as well. With the three of us, it might as well be club activities."

Urgh. I should have known that Hikigaya-kun had gotten wrapped up in this as well. As if on cue, his figure appeared in the left doorway which connected to the hallway from earlier.

"Oi, Shizuka, where did you want these bo— ah…"

"Good morning, Hikigaya-kun."

"Uh… morning."

In contrast to his rather dull response, a rather lively voice sprung forth, whisking away part of my regrets at being so easy coerced into manual labor on my day off.

"Ah! Yukinee-chan! Morning!"

"Komachi-chan! Good morning to you all well. Is it fine for you to spend your entire day helping out though considering…?"

"Hmm? Oh! Fu-fu-fu… If you're asking about school Yukinee-chan, then there's no need to worry! I might not be super smart like Onii-chan, but I'm still at the top of my class, you know?"

 _S-seriously?!_

"Oi, don't let it get to your head. The only reason you're doing so well still is because I tutored you so much whenever I have time and because Shizuka helped pull some ropes so that you could do all of your school work at home. The both of us will be a lot busier from now on so make sure you keep up with your studies properly, okay?"

"Sure, sure. Thanks for the help Onii—chan."

"Hey, don't respond sure more than once and don't drag out your words either."

I felt myself smiling as I watched the two siblings go at it back and forth. No matter how many times I saw it, it was an endearing sight, seeing the normally stoic and even wrathful Hikigaya-kun doting continuously on his younger sibling, even if it went just a bit _too_ far sometimes. Likewise, compared to the timid and withdrawn girl I had first met, the Komachi-chan now seemed leagues happier and was far more outgoing, though we still had some work to do. Amusingly, Hiratsuka-sensei seemed far less cheery than the other two, muttering something about _damned geniuses,_ under her breath. Nevertheless, despite the work that had been rudely shoved off onto me, I couldn't help but find myself looking forward to the day ahead. I was never a proponent for beliefs that one should have to spend time with their families; perhaps that was a result of my own dislike towards those people in my life… no, I could say without a doubt that that was the case. Even so, by spending time with these three, I could experience something I had previously only believed to be a product of fairy tales.

"Hey, hey, less talking, more working. We've only got so many hours in the day and school's tomorrow. If we don't get this done by today, I guarantee you, I'll be dragging the three of you back again next week."

"Hiratsuka-sensei… with this large of a mess, when was the last time you cleaned this place… actually, how did you even manage to let it get this bad at all?"

Though she took on a haughty attitude trying to command us to work, she instantly shrunk back at my questioning. Twiddling her fingers together and avoiding my gaze, she was the picture perfect image of a child forced to explain something they knew they shouldn't have done.

"Ahaha… how long ago was it? It can't have been any more than four months… probably?"

 _F-four months?!_

"H-How… How did you let yourself hold off on this for so long?!"

"W-well! Er… various things happened…?"

 _Why are you looking like you're wondering the same thing?! Weren't you the one who was so proudly boasting about being the owner of the house only minutes ago?_ Hiratsuka-sensei had previously done things that made me question her actual age, but this… this had to be a new low.

"Four months ago… Onee-chan, that wouldn't have been that one time around Christmas, would it?"

"Christmas?... Oh!" A rather wide grin formed on Hikigaya-kun's lips. Though it stood in stark contrast with the usual frown he wore, paired together with his naturally dangerous looking eyes, he gave off an even more sinister feeling than usual. "Isn't that when decided to host a Christmas party—"

"W-WAIT, S-STOP! STOP-STOP-STOP-STOP!"

"—and you decided to invite all of your _friends_ over only for them to cancel on you last minute because they had dates with their boyfriends? If I remember correctly, you came crying that night and drunk yourself to sleep."

Hmm… That certainly explained the lonely Christmas tree standing in a corner of the room.

"You… you, jerk! Who raised you like this?! I'll teach you to never make fun of your older sister again!"

Hiratsuka-sensei quickly locked Hikigaya-kun into a stranglehold, though Hikigaya-kun seemed less affected by it than usual, his glee at Hiratsuka-sensei's expense most likely overriding any pain that she was physically causing him. As Komachi-chan tried desperately to break up the two fools before me, I could only let out a sigh. _Family, right…?_

⁂

"Ah!... What's this?"

"What's up, Yukinoshita?"

"Oh, Hiratsuka-sensei. It's just, this fell off of the shelf I was cleaning just now."

"Hmm? Let me see… Oooh. I remember this…"

Though it had taken a while, Komachi-chan had finally managed to pull Hikigaya-kun out of Hiratsuka-sensei's chokehold, though only after she had made him promise to stop laughing at the latter. Despite the size of the household, or rather, perhaps because of it, I deemed it most efficient for us to split up for the time being, with Hiratsuka-sensei and I focusing on tackling the mess in the living area and Hikigaya-kun and Komachi-chan sorting through the boxes of who knows what that Hiratsuka-sensei had for some reason amassed within her house.

Thankfully, despite the size of the mess and my initial fears over how much work would need to be done, the disposal of the trash went by relatively quickly. While I had my concerns about Hiratsuka-sensei's liver, her poor health choices certainly made my job much easier. After we sorted and bagged most of the trash in the living room and kitchen, we placed them outside of the house. All that was left on that end was bringing the bags to the collection point on the correct day, a task that I was sure that even Hiratsuka-sensei could complete.

With a majority of the trash out of the living room and kitchen, the two rooms felt much more spacious. Still, it was a far cry from what I would call clean. Starting with the kitchen, there were various tasks that would need to be done such as wiping down the counters and the stove top to clean up and dust, food particles, and oil that had accumulated over their use, washing the mountain of dishes that had accumulated within the sink, and wiping down and vacuuming the wooden floors, though that could be saved for last, just so it could be done all at once. I had also made a note to check the fridge, unconfident in Hiratsuka-sensei's basic house-keeping skills. To my pleasant surprise, the fridge was mostly empty, and the food in the freezer seemed fine, though with Hiratsuka-sensei's choices of produce (if it could even be called that), I was growing increasingly concerned regarding her diet. One item, a clearly-past-its-expiration-date Christmas cake, caused my nose to wrinkle with disgust, though when I went to toss it out, Hiratsuka-sensei adamantly tried to stop me, insisting that a Christmas cake was good even past Christmas. Unperturbed by her false reasoning, I threw it away anyways, causing Hiratsuka-sensei to sulk for a good ten minutes.

With the kitchen mostly clean, I moved onto the living room. Since we had disposed of most of the trash already, the only work that needed to be done was repositioning the furniture that had somehow been misaligned and dusting off any surfaces. Thankfully, none of the furniture that needed to be repositioned was too heavy, so even I was able to move them back in place without the help of Hiratsuka-sensei. It was when I was dusting off one of the wooden cabinets that my hand had accidently knocked off an album of some sort.

"I remember this…" With a gentle smile, Hiratsuka-sensei lightly brushed off the cover of the album.

"May I ask what it is?"

"Hmm? Oh, it's a present I got for graduating high school. Hikigaya-san… Hachiman and Komachi's father that is, gave it to me." Upon flipping open the cover, we were greeted by a single photo centered perfectly on the middle of the page. The photo in question portrayed five people, which upon closer inspection, I realized, were none other than Hiratsuka-sensei, along with Hikigaya-kun, Komachi-chan, and based off their looks, who I could only assume to be the Hikigaya couple. The three that I did recognize appeared much younger than they did now. The most obvious difference was Komachi-chan. Between the small child cradled in her father's arms in the photograph and the young girl she was now, it was clear who had undergone the largest amount of growth. Next up was Hikigaya-kun. Standing to the right, he appeared exactly as I had remembered him. With a boisterous look, he had a huge grin on his face, despite clearly not being the centerpiece of the event.

" _Hoh?_ That sure is a good look you have on your face there, Yukinoshita. What are you smiling so happily about? Did something good happen?" Ignoring the poorly concealed implications behind Hiratsuka-sensei's questioning and the obnoxious smirk on her face, I continued to study the photo before me.

Hiratsuka-sensei stood in the center of the photo. Despite being the least changed of the three, there were a couple noticeable differences. For one, Hiratsuka-sensei had her hair done up in a ponytail, giving her a much more youthful and immature, if even slightly innocent appearance, compared to the more mature vibe that she currently sported. For another, her _*ehem*, proportions,_ were much, much less defined then they currently were, a fact that brought me great relief. Wearing a strikingly familiar uniform, she stood in the middle of the group, nervous, but excitedly holding onto a diploma. A simple _Congratulations_ below the photo was the only thing written on the page, but the beautiful brush strokes that combined to form the various characters were more than enough to convey the feelings of the writer.

"Hiratsuka-sensei, you attended Sobu High?"

"I didn't tell you?" She closed her eyes, going deep into though, as if that would help her pull out the impossible memory she had somehow created. Perhaps her memory was already beginning to be affected by the ravages of time? My condolences, Hiratsuka-sensei.

"Yukinoshita? For some reason, I had a feeling that you were thinking something extremely rude just now."

"Oh my! I would never think anything slanderous or otherwise malicious towards our wonderful club advisor."

Casting me a final suspicious gaze, she gave up on her line of questioning, evident by her resigned sigh. "Well, whether I told you or not, I did indeed attend Sobu High. In fact, it's probably a large reason behind my employment there at such a _young_ age. While my grades were nowhere near as high as yours or Hachiman's, I was still one of the top students in literature. Well… I did have other connections of course that helped me land the job, but I do feel that my own efforts as a student did play an active role in securing my job. That would make me both your teacher and your senior… ah! But only by a couple of years, okay?!"

Hiratsuka-sensei's own pitiable remarks about her age aside, it was certainly surprising that she had managed to get the job. Seeing as how Sobu High only accepted students of the highest caliber, it was only natural that the teachers hired were also the best of the best. I myself could vouch for Hiratsuka-sensei's teaching skills, her lessons challenging, yet engrossing. Even so, using Hikigaya-kun as a benchmark, this photo couldn't have been taken any more than seven or eight years ago. Taking into consideration the fact that my own sister had Hiratsuka-sensei as a homeroom teacher for all three years, that would have to have meant that Hiratsuka-sensei started teaching as soon as she graduated from college. Despite how truly foolish she may have acted at times, I was beginning to develop a newfound respect for her.

"Onee-chan! We're done putting away your junk in the storehouse! What do you want— ah! No fair! The two of you are slacking off!" Sweeping in like a tornado, Komachi-chan instantly launched into a verbal barrage, a sight that still occasionally caught me off guard.

"Sorry about that Komachi. Yukinoshita just stumbled upon something of mine that brought back a lot of memories." Hiratsuka-sensei replied, lightly brushing off her accusations.

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Just an old photo album. Your father gave it to me for my high school graduation."

"Ah! Let me see, let me see!... Wow! I haven't seen any of these before."

"Figures," Sensei responded with a chuckle. "Most of these were taken when you were pretty young. There might even be a couple in there where you weren't even born yet."

As Komachi-chan began flipping through the pages of the album, my interest was once again piqued. I had, after all, only looked at the first page of the album. Inching closer, I hoped to get a better view.

"Ah! Yukinee-chan, I'm sorry. I should have figured that you'd want to see too. Come on, scoot closer and we can all look through it together!"

"Ah, d-don't mind me," I responded. "I don't really mind either way…" Certainly, I was interested, but I was about take a look into the private lives of people, that for as familiar as I had become with them, I had only recently gotten to know. It felt a tad bit intrusive to go browsing through snapshots of their early life, things that they might not want others to see.

Still, Komachi-chan being who she was, she paid no heed to my words. "Aww… Don't be like that Yukinee-chan. Here!" Placing the album onto the kotatsu, Komachi-chan put it in a position where we could all see. Not one to turn down another's good will, I scooted just a bit closer into a position where I could comfortably see.

As we flipped through the first couple of pages, it became obvious how the album had been arranged. Baby pictures of a small infant being held by whom I assumed where her parents were followed by a those of a toddler, and then a small girl. Following that pattern, it was logical to assume that this album most likely documented Hiratsuka-sensei's life up until the final moment displayed on the very first page. While it was entertaining watching sensei's reactions to having her baby photos seen, it wasn't until we reached the point where she was a young girl that a photo caught my attention. In it, a much younger version of sensei who couldn't have been any older than Komachi-chan, was nervously holding up a baby. The panic was clear on her face, but she seemed to be doing a fine job. In fact, the child in her arms was fast asleep, a calm and comfortable look on its face.

"Uwah! Could it be?!"

"Yup." A sliver of nervousness could be seen on her face, perhaps the remnants of memories resurfacing from that day, but otherwise, pride filled Hiratsuka-sensei's voice. " _That,_ would be your older brother."

"Aww… Onii-chan's so cute. It's such a shame he wears that miserable frown on his face all the time now."

"Right? Well, he does mix up his facial expression just a bit more now, and it's all thanks to a certain someone."

Again, I tried my best to ignore sensei's rather provocative remarks, but a cute kitten jumped into the fray, making it impossible to defend.

"It's all thanks to Yukinee, right? Thank you so much!"

"Ah! N-no, it wasn't like I did much…"

"Nonsense. It's not good being too humble either, Yukinoshita. Some people might take that as arrogance. Just accept the fact that you did something good. Without your influence, there's no doubt that that kid would still be sulking about one thing or another all the time. Now, it's only about seventy percent of the time."

While the two of them continually forced their gratuities onto me, a haggard (even more so than usual) Hikigaya-kun appeared in the doorway.

"K-Komachi," he managed to sputter out between his short pants, "What the hell?! You just ran off and left me with the rest of the work!"

"Ah! Sorry about that Onii-chan!" Sticking out her tongue and lightly tapping herself with a fist, Komachi-chan gave a cute wink. Hikigaya-kun seemed as if he was about to give Komachi-chan a piece of his mind regardless before he noticed us in the room as well.

"What the—you're all slacking off?!"

"My goodness, Hikigaya-kun, I'm surprised to see you trying so hard at work. I thought for sure that you'd be the first to slack off given the chance."

"Oi, are you serious?" he asked with an exasperated sigh. "If we don't finish up by the end of today, we might actually have to come back again next week. I don't know about you, but I'm not willing to waste two weekends cleaning this idiot's house."

"Hachiman, even I wouldn't be so cruel. As long as we get most of the work done by today, even I should be able to wrap things up by myself next week. Be a dear now would you, and sit down and shut up." Hikigaya-kun quickly quieted down, taking the seat to the right of me on the kotatsu, though I was sure it was the dangerous glint in Hiratsuka-sensei's eyes rather than her words that convinced him to do so. With that, the four of us were gathered in the now relatively clean living room of Hiratsuka-sensei to take our sudden break.

Taking no heed of the one sided slaughter that had just occurred, Komachi-chan continued happily flipping through the photo album. I too, returned my attention to the photo album, with Hiratsuka-sensei occasionally glancing over to see what we were fussing over. Sitting on the opposite side of the table from the album, Hikigaya-kun simply spent his break resting, using the kotatsu as a support. Rather, I doubted he'd want to partake as we laughed at some of the more embarrassing stories Hiratsuka-sensei had to tell of him.

Our break was peaceful, the now clutter-free house taking a weight off my mind. It still wasn't entirely clean yet, but like Hiratsuka-sensei had said, at the rate we were going, we would most likely be able to wrap up by the end of the day. Truly, as long as everyone worked together, any task could be accomplished. Either way, I was only planning on resting up until we worked our way through till the end of the album. Seemingly, Hikigaya-san had gone through the effort of compiling the best or perhaps most heartfelt and memorable moments into the album, so despite being eighteen years' worth of personal history, the album itself wasn't immensely bulky as one might expect. Occasionally, Hiratsuka-sensei might cut in to tell the story of a particularly memorable moment, but for the most part, I felt many of the photos spoke for themselves. In the thirty minutes that we had spent flipping through the album, I too, had partaken, even if only as a spectator, in those vibrant, joy filled days.

" _Ngaaaahh~_ "

Lifting her arms back, Komachi-chan let out a strange cry as she stretched. "That was fun, wasn't it, Yukinee? Well, now that that's over, we should probably get back to work." As she picked up the album to put it back, several loose photos seemed to slip out from the back of the album. Scattering themselves out over the table, they displayed various scenes that we seemed to have missed during our initial viewing. The one that landed near me depicted a college aged sensei along with a couple other people.

"Oh, shoot! Sorry, Onee-san!"

"Hmm? Ah, don't fret over it. It's my fault anyways. I didn't really have anywhere else to put them, so I kind of just ended up shoving the loose photos I collected in the back."

"Come on, Komachi, where here to clean up Shizuka's mess, not make ano—" Hikigaya-kun, who had mostly managed to keep a straight face, even during some of Hiratsuka-sensei's more humiliating tales, froze as he reached for the photo before him, his face quickly draining of its color. He tried to hide it by stacking it beneath another photo, but his initial delay gave me enough time to see what exactly had spooked him. Recognizing the photo, it was only after the words had cleanly left my mouth that I'd realized just how large of a blunder I'd committed.

"I'm in this photo…"

"What are you talking about, Yukinoshita? No offense, but pretty much most of these pictures were between family or close friends. There's no way you could have been in any of them."

I understood what Hiratsuka-sensei meant, but I was absolutely certain that I wasn't mistaken. Hikigaya-kun's eyes were desperately trying to signal for me to stop, but my own pride wouldn't allow for me to be wrong.

"No, I'm certain of it." Snatching the photo out Hikigaya-kun's hands, I placed it squarely on the table for all eyes to see. "We took a class photo together at the end of the year. There's no doubt, this is a picture of class 6…!"

 _Hikigaya-kun, why didn't you try to stop me?!_

"Oh yeah, Onii-chan and Yukinee went to the same elementary school and were even in the same class for a year, right?"

"A-ah! Y-yes, that's correct." While keeping a smile on my face, I slowly moved my hand back towards the center of the table, hoping that I could reach that photo before it was too late. Unfortunately, Hiratsuka-sensei was much too fast, outstripping my already outstretched hand. Grabbing the photo just out of my reach, she gave me an all too knowing smirk.

"Ho-hoh? It couldn't be, could it? When Kyouko-san sent me this photo, I couldn't believe what I saw and you would never tell me who it was, Hachiman. Since we never did figure it out, I completely forgot about it, but I can't believe this long awaited mystery is being solved right here, with all the actors in place! Hachiman, the girl next to you in this photo is none other than Yukinoshita, isn't it!?"

"Nee-chan! I didn't get a clear look before—let me see, let me see!"

"E-eh?! Komachi-chan?! T-there's no real need to look, right?"

"Uwah! They're all so small and cute! Now let's see… Komachi's found Onii-chan! Then Yukinee-chan is…"

"D-don't look!"

It was a tradition at our school to take a class photo at the start and end of each year. I suppose the teachers and administrators set it up as a way for the students to see their own growth and the bonds that they managed to create, but for me, it always seemed just a bit cruel. Anyways, standing in the middle of the photo was none other than Hayama-kun, the star of the class. His bright smiling emitted a warmth that naturally attracted others towards him, and as proof of that, he was surrounded by his large group of friends. I too, had at one point, found comfort in that warmth… A group of girls was mixed in there as well, with one particular one standing out. I had long since overcome my fears, but a sour taste still filled my mouth at the thought of them.

More importantly however, was the boy who chose to stand a noticeable distance away from his classmates. It wasn't far enough away for him to be scolded, but just enough that he wouldn't be crowded in with the rest. An uneasy expression could be seen on his face, but it had little to do with his distance between the class. Most likely, the cause was the young girl who chose to stand uncomfortably close to him despite his efforts to stand alone. Like a doll, the girl's radiant beauty captured the attention of her peers and would easily have been enough to bend them to her command, giving her a place in the class should she so choose. Nevertheless, she had abstained from doing so, choosing the boy besides her over the rest of their classmates. In fact, upon closer inspection, one would see the young girl bashfully grasping the hem of the boy's shirt as if she were afraid of losing him, an act that drew envious glares from many of their male classmates. In other words, the most troublesome, badly behaved teacher at our school had somehow managed to obtain physical proof of one of the most embarrassing moments my naïve, younger self hadn't even realized she had committed.

"Oh my god! Yukinee was _sooo_ adorable! But aren't you standing _awfully_ close to Onii-chan? What the heck, if you wanted him so much you should have just asked! I'd be happy to give away Onii-chan, especially to you, Yukinee."

"N-no! T-that's not… Hikigaya-kun, say something!"

"…Idiot."

"W-what!?"

"Hey, hey, calm down now. We all have moments that we'd rather forget and things that we aren't proud of."

"Wait a minute, Shizuka. You wouldn't be referring to me with that statement right? That's just a bit harsh, right?"

"But, that's what it means to grow up. Looking back and being embarrassed by your past mistakes—isn't that how we develop as people? So cheer up, Yukinoshita. Even someone of your level can't be expected to not make the occasional mistake."

"Hiratsuka-sensei…" I'm sorry. The impression that I had formed of you up until now was an immature, rowdy, good-for-nothing teacher, but you really do step up to the plate when it counts. From now on, I'll be sure to treat you with the respect deserved by one with such wisdom.

"Well…" she continued with a chuckle, "Even so, I can't believe that our princess, Yukinoshita here had a crush on Hachiman of all people."

"I already said, it's not like that!"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hello, blank-san here. It's been quite a while.**

 **First off, I want to apologize for the long delay. Though I promised updates throughout my break, unfortunately, it's nearly over. I'm sure there's some sort of irony to be found in how I wrote about Hiratsuka-sensei procrastinating on cleaning her home and my own procrastination on what should have been a holiday special. Various things happened between real life and just writing the story itself that I somehow managed to push it back this far and for that, I'm sorry.**

 **I had the idea for this chapter way back in the middle of December as a quick intermission right before what I expected to be a relatively long chapter. What started off as a side story, and what I still feel is, quickly expanded to a much greater length than I expected and as a result, it's not only been slow progress on this chapter, but the whole story as well. Even now, the "whole" chapter isn't completely finished, but I've decided to split it into two parts for both the sake of the plot and so you guys can have something out to read while I work on the second half of the chapter. Thankfully it is _mostly_ done (at least, by my estimations) and I should be able to push it out in the next week so be sure to check back for the conclusion of this side story. * _wink* *wink* *shameless advertising*_**

 **On another note, you might have noticed something that was added to the story... That's right! We finally have a cover image for the story! Source: Me. * _celebratory racket in the background*_ Bad jokes aside, credit for the art goes to ponkan8, the artist for the series. I simply rearranged his drawings into a mock-up mimicry of the actual series' covers. Nevertheless, I like it quite a bit and I hope you do as well.**

 **Finally, thank you all for reading and supporting the series up until now. It's been a pleasure working on this series and I hope that you'll continue to read both this and any other series I find myself working on in the future. See you in the next week (I hope).**


	7. Chapter 4-2

**I lied.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4.2: The Hardships of Hiratsuka Shizuka**

* * *

"Ahhh… I'm so tired." With a heavy plop, Komachi-chan settled down onto the kotatsu.

⁂

It had taken a several hours, but we had finally finished cleaning the house. The setting sun reminded us of how truly arduous the task had been. At Hiratsuka-sensei and Komachi-chan's unrelenting badgering, Hikigaya-kun and I had worked together to clean out the left side of the house, where the rooms designated for more personal use were located and had finished up only about half an hour ago. Still, we had wrapped up earlier than the other two, so Hikigaya-kun gladly and immediately took his chance to slack off, messing around with his smart phone in the living room. I had wanted to go help them, but Hikigaya-kun insisted that we had done our fair share of labor, and that they'd probably refuse my assistance regardless. Thwarted, I chose to redirect my efforts elsewhere.

Earlier, when I was cleaning out the kitchen with Hiratsuka-sensei, I had stumbled upon a bag of unopened bag of chrysanthemum tea. Typically, I brewed green tea while in the club room and preferred earl grey while at home, but I was always welcome to other types. I set a kettle of water to boil while I rinsed out an old teapot and cups from the cupboard. After about fifteen minutes, the water had been brought to a full boil, at which point, I took the kettle off of the stove. With a measured amount of flowers, I poured in the freshly boiled water, before setting the kettle aside and putting the teapot and cups onto a serving tray. Gingerly, I lifted up the tray before making my way back to the living room.

Just as I had left him earlier, Hikigaya-kun was still on his phone, most likely playing some sort of game based off of the sound effects it emitted and that fact that he had no one to contact on it regardless. Setting down the tray, I poured a cup of tea before placing it in front of Hikigaya-kun, an act which seemed to momentarily catch his attention as he muttered a quick _Thanks_.

"Be careful, it's still hot," I cautioned him, a warning which seemed to go over his head as he almost immediately burned his tongue on the tea. I was unable to hold back a laugh at the all too familiar sight, to which Hikigaya-kun returned with an embarrassed snarl. As he set his cup back down and turned his attention back to his device, I poured myself a cup, before electing to enjoy the refreshing spring breeze that gently billowed through the room from the opened hallways. It was about ten minutes later that Komachi-chan and Hiratsuka-sensei finally wrapped up their task and joined us in the living room.

"Here you go, Komachi-chan," I offered, handing her a cup of tea.

"Oh! Thanks Yukinee." Gratefully accepting the cup, she took a slow sip before letting off a thousand-watt smile. "Delicious!"

"Hiratsuka-sensei, would you like a cup as well?"

"Nah… rather, hurry up and finish your cups. We've still got things to do after all."

"Eh? Was there something we missed?"

"Ah, no, not that. Did you forget? I promised you guys a meal didn't I? Let's get going before the sun goes down."

⁂

The restaurant Hiratsuka-sensei had in mind was located relatively close, being only about just over a ten minutes' walk away. Seeing as it would have been a tight fit in Hiratsuka-sensei's car as well, the four of us headed out for an early dinner on foot.

We made small chat on the way there, though it was mostly Komachi-chan and Hiratsuka-sensei, my own thoughts elsewhere. Aside from a quick breakfast this morning, I hadn't had much to eat the whole day, and I was beginning to feel it's effects on my body. An abundance of fragrant scents began to assault my olfactory organs as we entered the nearby shopping district, only further reminding me just how hungry I was. Silently, I placed one of my hands over my stomach, praying that my body wouldn't begin making any more noticeable signs of my hunger. As if answering my prayers, we finally came to a stop about a minute later.

"Ra…men?" Curiously, I read the sign board displayed above the shop.

"Yukinoshita… Don't tell me you don't know what ramen is." My quizzicality must have shown on my face as Hikigaya-kun began to question me with a very concerned look.

"D-don't be ridiculous! Ramen is a staple of Japanese cuisine and its renown worldwide; of course I know what it is. It's just… I've never actually had it before…"

"As expected of our princess," Hiratsuka-sensei laughed. "Well, come on. No need to be shy. It just so happens that I'm an expert on ramen and I can guarantee that this is one of the best places in town. I'll have you thoroughly familiar with ramen in no time."

"Hey, old man, table for four please." With a boisterous shout, Hiratsuka-sensei loudly opened up the doors to the establishment before shoving us inside. We were greeted by a well-kept, medium sized restaurant, that, while not stylish and modern, had its own distinct, rustic charm. Though it was still early in the evening, the restaurant was already around half-full making it seem smaller than it was. I inwardly thanked Hiratsuka-sensei for taking us early, just so we wouldn't have to deal with the crowd that would show up if this place was as popular as she had promised.

"Oh, Hiratsuka. Welcome. Just take any of the tables in the back. I'll have a waiter out for you shortly." A large, middle-aged man looked up and greeted us from the kitchen behind the counter. Apparently, Hiratsuka-sensei visited the place enough that the chef knew her by name, a feat I found both impressive and questionable. Following after her who made her way through the restaurant with a familiarity akin to as if it were her sec—third home, the three of us sat down at an empty table towards the back. Sure enough, a waiter quickly made his way over to our table.

"Hachiman, why don't you start?"

"Hmm… I'll take a miso ramen… Can you add an extra egg and _chasui_ as well?" With a quick glance at the menu, Hikigaya-kun quickly placed his order.

"Got it. And for the young miss?"

"Ah, I'll take a miso ramen as well. Just extra _chasui_ please." Though I remembered Komachi-chan had a tendency to act shy around strangers, she instead replied with her usual vigor.

"No problem. Then for you miss?"

"Ah! Umm… I'll have the…"

"She'll have a shoyu. As for me, I'll take a tonkotsu, thanks. Oh, and a beer as well."

With a nod, our waiter quickly finished scribbling down our orders before returning back to the kitchen. After a quick return, bringing us three waters and a large glass of beer, we were left to wait for our food.

"Oi, Shizuka, are you sure you should be drinking? Even if you're not taking us back, you still have to drive Yukinoshita home, right?"

"Oh, shoot. You're right… Oooh…But a beer tastes best after a hard day of work… Yosh! Yukinoshita, you're fine with staying the night, right?"

"Hiratsuka-sensei? Even if I wasn't oppose staying over at your home regardless, we still have school tomorrow."

"Ah, don't worry about that. We can make a quick stop by your apartment in the morning for your things."

"You completely ignored the first part of what I said…"

"Yukinee, you're going to sleep over!? Then us too! We'll have a slumber party!"

"…"

"Good! Then that's settled." Grabbing her beer by the handle, Hiratsuka-sensei took a massive swig, raising her head back and finishing the glass in one go. "Another one, please!"

"Another beer, coming right up!"

It didn't take long for Hiratsuka-sensei to finish her second beer and order her third. It took even less time before her personality became noticeably _more_ indiscreet than it already usually was. Unfortunately, due to the busy nature of the restaurant, our food had yet to arrive so there was nothing stopping sensei's unoccupied mouth from spilling out all manner of foul things, though if there was a silver lining to the whole situation, it was that her attention was not focused on me.

"Whhhyyyyyy?! I haave a s-sta-ple careeeerR~… I have a fuuunny ppershionaality… I h-have goood looksss too… riiight?... So why am I still s-shingle!?"

"Shut up! This is the other reason I didn't want you drinking! Just sit there quietly until our food gets here."

There's no questioning that alcohol has adverse effects on mental processes quickly after consumption, though the degree of those effects tend to vary from individual to individual. Because of my family's situation, I had to occasionally attend social events along with my family, many of which had alcohol for consumption. Of course, most people _usually_ didn't drink until they were completely intoxicated at such events, but the occasional mishap occurred, with guests overestimating their own capabilities and exhibiting a wide variety of behaviors that they normally wouldn't. Even within my family, I've seen the effects of alcohol, though thankfully, they were relatively tame.

My father, for example, though friendly, was typically a rather serious individual, especially when it came to work. In both the diet and his own company, he was a person that could gather others around with his charisma while still keeping them in check with his unyielding resolve. Whenever he had too much to drink, he tended to lose that sternness that kept that certain level of formality in everything he did. Catching the nearest person he could, he would began regaling them with stories of his home life and how wonderful his daughters were—in other words, the loud-drunk type.

Hiratsuka-sensei was an extraordinarily loud drunk.

"Haaachimaaan… Whattt are you going to dooo if I can't get married?" Hiratsuka-sensei cried out, while noisily pounding on the table with her fists. Occasionally some of the other customers with glance over at us, but most seemed indifferent to the racket that Hiratsuka-sensei was causing and even the owner didn't seem to mind, happily humming away as he prepared the food.

"Who cares. How is that my problem anyways?" As brutal as always, Hikigaya-kun quickly shot down sensei. While this sort of attitude usually would have gotten him decked, Hiratsuka-sensei was far too drunk to emulate even _that_ famous Chinese martial art, much less the overly elaborate moves she tended to favor.

"Dooon't be sooo meeean Haaachiman. Didn't you promissh to maaarryy mee?"

" _Hah?!_ T-that was—I w-was five at the time! Don't take the words of a child so seriously!"

Still, we were really causing a scene here. Based off the familiarity between Hiratsuka-sensei and the owner, it was probably fine to assume that Hiratsuka-sensei was a regular customer and if she drank like _this_ every time she came here, it wouldn't surprise me if a significant portion of the restaurant's income came from sensei alone. It would certainly explain why the restaurant seemed so used to such a scene. Komachi-chan, please don't act as if this doesn't concern you.

"Excuse me, your food's here." Bringing over our meal, the waiter from earlier was able to quickly (and thankfully) bring a stop to Hiratsuka-sensei's disruptive behavior.

As a bowl was set down in front of me, the warm vapors coming off of the broth immediately permeated the nearby atmosphere, tickling my sinuses and once more reminding me of how hungry I was. The dish seemed simple. Thin wheat noodles sat in the clear, light brown broth. An assortment of toppings such as nori, bamboo shoots, and roasted pork decorated the noodles and broth. Compared to the fine dining and high-class cooking that I was so familiar with, ramen should have been nothing more than fatty food meant for the working-class, yet somehow, this large bowl before me seemed numerous times more appetizing than any of those gourmet meals. After we chorused a quick _Thanks for the food_ , I took a pair of the plastic chopsticks, my stomach only further pressuring me to relieve my hunger. With a quick maneuver of the utensils in my hands, I picked up some of the noodles in the bowl before bringing it to my mouth…

"Wait just a moment, Yukinoshita!"

Just as I was about to take my first bite, a soup spoon was shoved in my face.

"When it comes to ramen, you gotta taste the broth first." Though her cheeks were still flushed red, Hiratsuka-sensei had somehow recovered from her drunken stupor, at least, enough that her words were no longer slurred. She gave me a conceited grin, as if she had just managed to save me before I committed some novice faux pas, an expression I found even more irksome due to her drunken state. I glanced over at Hikigaya-kun and Komachi-chan. Both had already dived straight into their food, neither seeming to have minded or followed the _correct_ way of eating. Still… she was the "expert" here.

With the soup spoon now in my left hand, I once more resumed my long awaited meal. Following Hiratsuka-sensei's instructions, I dipped the spoon into the broth, drawing in the clear liquid and lowering my head slightly closer to the bowl, I brought the broth filled spoon to my lips.

 _I-Its… strong!_

I was completely overwhelmed by just the taste of the broth. Barely managing to force it down the correct pipe, I ended up in a coughing fit.

"Yukinoshita, I know you're hungry, but the foods not going anywhere. There's no need to eat so fast." Rudely opening his mouth between slurps, Hikigaya-kun for some reason was chiding me over his own misunderstanding.

"W-What?! That's wrong! I was just caught off guard by the taste is all!"

"Really? Your stomach was letting off some pretty weird noises earlier…"

"Y-You! If you noticed, then you should have just kept quiet!"

"Onii-chan, stop provoking Yukinee, and Yukinee, there's no need to get so embarrassed, you know? A rumbling stomach is a good sign of a healthy body!"

Komachi-chan, why are you mediating now?! Well… it wasn't good to make such a fuss in a public space anyways. With a sigh, I turned my attention back to the bowl before me. Once more bringing the broth to my lips, I took another sip, albeit a much more careful one this time.

Prepared, I was properly able to taste the broth this time. It was salty. It was a bit difficult to tell just going by the taste, but it definitely had a _dashi_ base giving it a very recognizable Japanese flavor. Of course, that wasn't all there was. Most likely, fish or pork bones were used to help give it flavor as well, adding to the foundation built by the dashi. Overall, it produced the very strong, overwhelming pungency that had so badly caught me off guard. But… it wasn't bad.

Again, I picked up some of the noodles with my chopsticks, this time managing to get it to my mouth. They were firm, but easy to chew. They had little flavor aside from what one would expect of wheat noodles by themselves, but soaked in the broth, they had taken on a subtler hint of the broth's flavor. Despite my initial reactions to the dish, I found it went down rather easily. Compelled, I found myself soon going for more. As we continued to eat, the excessively loud chatter our table had previously emitted died down, each of us focusing solely on the meal before us. It was strange. Normally, I didn't have a huge appetite and only cooked about two small side dishes for myself to go with a bowl of rice as a meal. Speaking from experience, there was no way that I could expect myself to finish such a large bowl by myself. Perhaps it was my hunger or perhaps it was because it was a new experience, but I just barely managed to finish my bowl that night.

⁂

"""We're home."""

"Pardon the intrusion."

Upon stepping in the doorway, the three "siblings" chorused out a ritual greeting of sorts reflexively, though two were noticeably more clear than the last. Following their example, I gave my own polite greeting before taking off my own shoes and sliding into the indoor slippers provided. It had not taken too long for us to eat, but taking a drunk Hiratsuka-sensei home had been much more challenging and time consuming then I had realized. By the time we had finally managed to get back to the Hiratsuka residence, the sun had long set giving way to a full moon and the brightest of stars that provided a faint glimmer in the dark shroud that had covered the sky.

"It's getting quite late," I noted, a fact made fairly obvious by the trip we had just made. "We should probably start up the bath if all of us are going to get done before midnight." Needless to say, Hiratsuka-sensei was in no condition to drive me home. Though still reluctant, I realized that there was nothing that could be done in this situation. If I had really desired so, it was possible for me to walk to the nearest station and take the train home, but it seemed prudent considering I had already been offered a place to stay and that I had no urgent reason to return home with Hiratsuka-sensei having already promised to stop by my apartment complex before school started the next morning anyways.

"Ah! In that case, we can take a bath together, Yukinee."

"Hmm!? W-wait a moment. Why? There's no need to cramp ourselves uncomfortably in the bath right?" There's no need to make me uncomfortable, right? You're not doing this on purpose, right?

"Oh, good idea." The one who had uttered that line was Hikigaya-kun.

Eh?... Eh?! H-Hikgaya-kun, despite your less than proper image, I trusted that you at least had the minimal sense of morals! What exactly are you planning by agreeing with your younger sister here? It… it couldn't be? While Komachi-chan and I were together in the bath, you were planning on—!

"Here." Quickly, Hikigaya-kun heaved Hiratsuka-sensei whom he had been supporting the entire duration of the trip home onto Komachi-chan, who gave her brother a scowl at the sudden dead weight dropped onto her. "Take this idiot with you as well and make sure she doesn't drown in the bath or something." With the weight of Hiratsuka-sensei _literally_ off his shoulders, Hikigaya-kun took the left hallway towards the rooms we had cleaned out earlier, presumably to claim his sleeping chamber for the night.

 _Ah… Of course. This was Hikigaya-kun we were talking about here, self-proclaimed King of the Loners. What exactly was I expecting?_

"Ugh! Onee-chan, get up! I know you can walk by yourself at least!"

"Ah! Here, let me help." Sliding Hiratsuka-sensei's other arm over my shoulders, I shifted some of her weight onto myself, an action met with Komachi-chan's thanks. "Still, there's really no need for us all to take a bath together at once is there? I'm sure even Hiratsuka-sensei is capable of bathing alone, even in her state. That Hikigaya-kun… even for him, joking about such matters is just a bit too morbid, isn't it?"

"Ah… actually, Onii-chan might have been too off when he said that…"

"?" The confusion I felt seemed to show on my features as Komachi-chan continued.

"That's right, Yukinee hasn't been here before… You see… ah, you know what? It'll be easier to just show you."

⁂

 _W-what in the world?! I-It's huge!?_

"It's big isn't it? Ugh… just looking at this place is making my body ache all over again… On the bright side, you won't find many private baths this big in Chiba. For us girls, it's definitely one of the biggest selling points about Onee-chan's house."

Calling it big was an understatement. The bathroom in Hiratsuka-sensei's home easily rivaled the size of a public bath, but it was the style that made the bathroom all the more extravagant. Stone tiles lined the entire bathroom floor giving it a cool, but pleasant feel against the warm humidity of the bath. Large, single panel windows spanned across a majority of the left wall, giving a clear view of the garden display behind the house as well as the sky. I had concerns about the privacy of the bathroom, but the out of place stairway leading to the bathroom was beginning to make a lot of sense. If I remembered correctly from earlier when I was cleaning out the left side of the house with Hikigaya-kun, it was definitely possible to see inside the windows from other parts of the house, but not clearly due to the height difference of the two sections of the building. In fact, it's why I had only just realized that this was the bathroom one managed to raise themselves parallel with the height of the bathroom or the person inside the bathroom stood right up against the windows, it would normally be impossible to see within the bathroom from outside. As a final layer of security for the bathroom and perhaps the home as a whole, a small, but dense bamboo forest ran a portion of the perimeter of the grounds, particularity the area around the back garden and the bathroom, preventing any devious wrongdoers from prying outside the confines of the property. As a result, the bathroom gave off an incredibly grandiose atmosphere.

However, even the wide open windows that gave view of the beautiful garden or the night sky weren't the most stunning part of the bathroom. There was no doubt that the centerpiece of the bathroom and the most luxurious part of all was the large cypress tub that sat directly in the center of the bath, though calling it a tub might be a bit modest considering that it covered around sixty percent of the already extremely large room. The "tub" was depressed within the floor, only the rectangular rim poking out about a couple of centimeters above the floor and water, quite literally, filled it to the brim, slowly spilling out over the rim and onto the floor, though I suspect that drains were hidden near the edge of the tub as the water seemed unable to make it past a certain distance. Overall, it felt more like I had stepped into an _onsen_ than a bathroom.

"Come on, Onee-chan. You can at least wash yourself properly right?" Dragging Hiratsuka-sensei over to one of the showers, Komachi-chan did her best to prop sensei up on one of the small stools, a task easier said than done with sensei continuously leaning this way and that, resulting in Komachi-chan having to catch her and straighten her properly again. Even the amount of shower heads in here, while not as numerous as a bath house, was more than normal, but I suppose any number of showers more than one per bathroom was already more than usual.

Hesitantly, I sat myself down at the shower over. Though it was normally considered bad manners to a towel into the bath, I had one wrapped around my front, for my own sanity. As expected, neither Komachi-chan, who had moments of surprising boldness, nor Hiratsuka-sensei, who regardless of her drunken state, probably wouldn't have cared anyways, wore towels in the bath, displaying none of the embarrassment that I had felt over the whole situation.

"Yukinee, what are you wearing a towel for." Komachi-chan asked, taking the seat on my other side. She had finally managed to get sensei to sit down properly, the person in question now very haphazardly washing herself down. "There's no need to be so embarrassed, you know? We're all girls here after all."

"Sorry…" I could feel my embarrassment swelling at being caught so easily, but I slowly lowered my towel, though I left it covering my legs. "It's embarrassing to admit it, but I'm unfamiliar with this degree of… intimacy. I'm surprised though, Komachi-chan. You're extremely assertive at times, in a good way, of course."

"That's not… true…" Despite my praise, Komachi-chan seemed to shrink back. "After all, when it comes to school, I'm still running away…"

"...What's wrong with running away?"

"W...what do you mean? Of course there's something wrong! I… I gave up!"

"Is there a problem taking a break when faced with adversity? Even the most stalwart of challengers are worn down by the trials of life."

"Y-... Yukinee is only able to say that because you don't know. You might not notice it yourself, but your… special—Yukinee shines like a star. That's why you possibly couldn't understand what it's like for someone normal like me..."

"I do."

"..."

"I… also ran away."

"That's a lie…"

"It's true!"

A loud shout suddenly filled the room, causing Komachi-chan to jump. It was only after a couple of seconds that I realized it was my own voice that had startled her so. My head was burning, but I knew it wasn't because of the bath. I... calm down. There's no way she'll understand if I don't communicate properly. Breathing out a loud sigh, I forced out the vexation clouding my thoughts.

"It was… back in elementary school. I was ostracized by my classmates. The girls in my class were envious of my relationship with my… childhood friend. It was just them at first, but eventually the rest of the girls joined in as well and it wasn't long before some boys decided to join in as well. I had two types of relationships in that class—there were the classmates that would antagonize me and then those that simply chose to watch. As for that _friend_ , the indirect cause of the whole thing—he was one of the ones who chose to watch, acting like there was nothing wrong. It was after one particularly upsetting incident that your brother saved me."

"But... you still went to school every day, right? You never gave up?"

"You… you don't get it! The reason I kept going to school—the reason I 'never gave up', was because I didn't have a choice. Yes, I was… bullied at school, but it wasn't any better at home either. I lived with people I hardly knew, friends of my father, but certainly not people I could rely on, and even if my family was there, I'm sure they'd be more inclined to watch me suffer, insisting that I grow from the experience. That's why, when your brother—when Hikigaya-kun saved me from that hell, I threw everything away and ran. He _was_ my 'escape'. Can you imagine it? After one small act of kindness, a girl he hardly knew suddenly burdened him with all of her troubles. I was blinded by my relief, too happy that my 'knight in shining armor' had come to save me, but he was just a child, no older than myself and I shouldered him with everything. I… I know Hikigaya-kun isn't exactly a sociable person, but a part of myself is haunted by my mistakes. What if it's my fault? What if the reason Hikigaya-kun never made any friends is because he isolated himself so he could look out for me? What if… he actually hates me?"

"NO!"

It was Komachi-chan's voice this time which caused me to jump.

"Onii-chan has always been that way… helping others out and trying to save them… even if they insist that they don't want it. That's why, there's no way he hates you, Yukinee." A small, but definite smile graced her lips as she seemed to remember something. She looked up, past me, giving a knowing gaze to… Hiratsuka-sensei? I checked the latter, whom I was sure had still been drunk. Surprisingly, she was no longer swaying or giving off another signs of her intoxication, but her head was turned the other way, hiding her face.

"I apologize," I sighed. "I let my emotions get the best of me and I've made you listen to some unpleasant things. The point that I wanted to get to with all of that was, even if you're struggling now, things will… well, get better. It feels useless and over stated, but it's the truth. When we parted ways, I realized that there was no way I could keep acting the way I was. If you really want to pay back those who slighted you, improve yourself, and show them you're better than them. They might challenge you on the outside, but there's no greater offensive than their own voices of insecurity constantly plaguing them from within."

"I-I see…"

Komachi-chan seemed a bit taken aback at my advice, but she also seemed to be deeply reflecting on them as well. Silence filled the room as I had nothing left to say and Komachi-chan kept to herself.

…

 _A-awkward…_ Ugh, now that I think about it, wasn't that really conceited, forcing my opinions on her? In fact, I practically just spilled my whole life story to her… Now I really just want to leave… Hurriedly, I quickly finished washing myself. Standing up, I quickly made my way back to the changing room.

"Ah, Yukinee, that was quick. You're not going to try the bath?"

...Only to be stopped by Komachi-chan.

Certainly, if there was one thing I was looking forward to, it was soaking in the large cypress bathtub, but after the tangent I just went on, the mood no longer seemed right for such a thing. But… if Komachi-chan herself had no problems with it, then it would be rude of me to refuse... right?

"J-just for a short while then."

Turning back, I quickly made my way over to the bath. The bathroom was definitely still steamy, but after washing off with hot water, the air felt cold against my skin—it's only natural that I'd want to warm myself up. Slipping in one foot, and then the next, the warm water came up just past my knees, sending a shiver through my spine. Gently lowering myself in, I leaned my back against the wall of the tub, letting the soothing water envelop the rest of my body.

 _Ahhh~_

Truly, there was nothing more relaxing than a good, warm bath. I closed my eyes, shifting my primary sense from vision to touch, limiting my sensory inputs so I could focus solely on the pleasant warmth surrounding me.

 _*splash*_

"Yukinee, don't fall asleep in the bath!"

Eh? Opening my eyes once more, I noticed Komachi-chan to my right with a worried expression on her face.

"Sorry," I quickly apologized, hoping to ease her worries. "The bath was so pleasant, I simply closed my eyes for a couple of seconds."

Her worried expression changed to one of shock. "A couple of seconds? I looked over and you hadn't moved from your spot for a good five minutes! I was scared you passed out!"

 _Five minutes?!_ That can't be… No. Certainly, I did a lot more manual labor today than usual. Combined with content sensation in my stomach and the pleasant warmth of the bath, it's entirely possible that I might actually have nodded off for a couple of minutes.

"I-I see… Sorry for worrying you. I suppose I've built up more fatigue throughout the day than I had expected. I'll be leaving the bath first then."

Just as I was about to stand up though, a second splash from the left caught my attention.

"Hey now, there's no need to get out so early, right?" Stepping in on my left, Hiratsuka-sensei came to my defense, looking noticeably less drunk than before, though a hint of red still tinted her cheeks, evidence of her previous rowdy nature.

"Well, even though Hachiman was scared of me drowning, maybe we should be more worried about you?" she finished, flashing me a cheeky grin.

"Sensei!"

With a laugh, no doubt at my expense, Hiratsuka-sensei and Komachi-chan finally sat down on either side of me. Even with the three of us in the bath together, there was still plenty of space, enough that if the bath was any deeper, it would have been a pool. It really was completely ridiculous. Still, I was just about ready to leave the tub when an absurd sight caught my eyes.

 _T-t-they're… FLOATING?!_

C-certainly under the Newtonian laws of physics, the buoyancy force caused by a fluid should cause any object of lesser density to be propelled upwards, and yes, considering exactly what _those_ were, they should theoretically float in water, but even so, just how absurdly massive were they that _they_ actually managed to lift themselves off of sensei's body and bob on the surface of the water?!

Before I even realized what I was doing, I looked down towards my own body. Not even the slightest hint of upward movement, huh? The typical age range of puberty for females was… about from 11 till 17 wasn't it? _Aren't I cutting it real close than?!_...No, wait a minute. What exactly am I doing getting caught up in such superficial standards for a woman's attractiveness anyways? Didn't I already swear against it all those years ago? ...But even so, there was still hope for me, right? After all, the development of one's body was heavily tied to genetics, rights? If that's true, then just based off of Onee-san, there's still the possibility for me! Hiratsuka-sensei as well! The proof was in the photo album she showed us. In her third year, a full two years from where I was, she was nowhere near as well defined as she was now. If she could somehow manage to go from that to _this_ , then I still couldn't give up, right?

"Yukinoshita."

"YES?!" _I wasn't staring at anything, I swear!_

Hiratsuka-sensei gave me a quizzical look at my shriek, but she thankfully made no comment on it. "I just wanted to discuss what you were talking about earlier."

"You... were listening to that?"

"Well, considering it was only the three of us in here, it was a bit difficult _not_ hearing what you were saying."

A groan escaped my lips. That… spiel I had ended up going in a much different direction that I had originally intended and a lot of embarrassing things ended up slipping out. I was hoping that Hiratsuka-sensei was still too drunk to fully comprehend or remember what I had said, but clearly, I wasn't that lucky.

"Listen—you too Komachi. I won't tell you that your methods or ideologies are wrong. In fact, I feel pretty similarly myself. Life has a tendency to ruin everything, regardless of how simple it should have been."

"Murphy's law…"

"Exactly. People suck and you're going to meet some real jerks throughout your life. On the contrary, there will be those you hold close for the rest of your life. But… life's not black and white. It's not you versus them. You might find yourself forced to cooperate with those people you once hated one day. Even more so, you might find out that they aren't the person you once thought they were. Just keep that in mind, okay?"

"...Understood."

"Good! Now lighten up, princess."

"P-princess?! Hiratsuka-sensei, you keep poking fun at my family's wealth, but aren't you relatively well-off yourself? Just look at this bath!"

"Well, it's not like I earned it or anything. It's just inheritance. Well, I suppose not having to worry about buying a house has certainly helped me get a head start on other things in life."

"Hiratsuka-sensei… that's not really something to joke about." I replied, with a hand on my head. I was expecting her to laugh it off and apologize for her tasteless joke, but she remained silent. It was Komachi-chan who broke the silence.

"Nee-chan…" Her tone wasn't scolding like it usually was with Hiratsuka-sensei, but filled with hesitation and unease.

 _What… no way…_

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't realize—I shouldn't have been so insensitive."

"It's fine, it's fine," Hiratsuka-sensei replied, brushing off my apology with her carefree attitude, as if nothing had happened in the first place. "Maybe it's just the alcohol acting up, but you told us your past, so I figured it fair that I told mine. Besides, I wasn't exactly trying to hide it or anything. With how often you come over and how much you've helped us out, you're practically family; it feels right for you to know."

"I-if you don't mind me asking, how… how long has it been since they've passed?"

"Hmm… let's see. It should be 11… _ugh_ , no I suppose it's been 12 years now, hasn't it."

"Then you would only have been 13 at the time?! You would still have been in your second year of middle school! Who took care of you... the Hikigayas!"

"Yup, just as you guessed. It was the Hikigayas that adopted me. Well… I was never officially adopted, but they took legal guardianship over me."

I see… That would certainly explain the sibling-like relationship between the three. To have spent over half of her life and a majority of Hikigaya-kun's and Komachi-chan's living together… Rather than _like_ siblings, the three _were_ actual siblings in all but blood.

"It's a bit of a long story, but if you're interested, I'd be fine with telling it."

Interested was an understatement. Despite it really not being any of my business, an almost insatiable urge begged that I accept. No… I suppose Hiratsuka-sensei was correct. While I doubted that I was 'practically family' as she had put it, at least, not in the sense that they were, these people were close to me… perhaps closer than I held my own family.

"If… if you're fine with it, then please."

With a smile and a nod, Hiratsuka-sensei cleared her throat and began.

" _Long, long ago_ … no, that's not quite right. Well, whatever. Like I said, my parents passed away 12 years ago. Ironically, they were on their way back from my grandparent's funeral when they died in a car accident, leaving me, a single child alone with a small, but reasonably sized fortune. Both my parents were only children and my other grandparents had already passed a couple of years before. I had other relatives, but they were distant, and certainly not people I had ever met. I had suddenly found myself very alone in the world.

It was then that Hikigaya-san—their father, that is, offered to adopt me. Our fathers were friends, and I myself was somewhat acquainted with him before the incident as well, so I knew he was a good man. My father had… _other_ connections, but even I knew that none of them would be suitable environments to grow up in. With no other real options, I accepted.

Even so, I wasn't very happy at first; I was still pretty angry about everything. Parents dying right in the middle of puberty can do that to you. Despite how kindly both Hikigaya-san and Kyouko-san, their mother, treated me, I constantly lashed out at their kindness and I took every opportunity I had to be alone. In fact, it's why I'm still 'Hiratsuka' instead of 'Hikigaya'. I was offered the chance, but I rejected it with everything I had."

"Nee-san! I'm sure if you still really wanted to, mom and dad would still be fine with it!" Komachi-chan interjected, earning a smile from Hiratsuka-sensei.

"You know, I'm sure they would, but it doesn't really matter that much to me anymore. Either way, I think I'll be fine. Anyways, despite all my moping and gripping, a certain _someone_ helped me change my ways."

"...It was Hikigaya-kun, wasn't it?"

Hiratsuka-sensei responded with a smile.

"Despite everything that I did to that kid, he kept coming back, you know? I seriously thought that there was something wrong with him at the time, but that's just how he was—unable to ignore those in need. I don't know when it happened—from when I stopped beating him up to get him away from me, to when I gradually tolerated him following me around, to when we began to laugh together like actual siblings, but without Hachiman, those wounds might never have healed. You know, even for his age, he was unusually mature. That might have been what made it possible for us to get along so well."

 _Isn't it just because you were immature?_

"Yukinoshita, you say something?"

"Nothing."

"Hmm… Well, it's thanks to Hachiman's meddling that I eventually opened up to the Hikigaya's as my family. There's no way Komachi was old enough to remember, but both Hikigaya-san and Kyouko-san were incredibly relieved at the time. Even now those two still treat me like their own daughter… Anyways, there you have it— _The Incredibly Tragic, Yet Inspiring Tale of Hiratsuka Shizuka_. How'd you like it?"

"It was… insightful. Thank you for sharing, sensei."

"N-nee-saaan! W-w-why didn't you tell me something so sad happened to you?"

"O-oi, calm down Komachi," Hiratsuka-sensei panicked, comforting the young girl who had leapt into her arms. "Besides, most of this happened while you were a baby anyways. If you don't remember, then there's no need for you to worry about it, right?"

"Even so, we're family! We have to tell each other these sort of things."

"All right, all right. Next time something big happens to me, you'll be the first to know, okay? Now get your grabby mitts off of me."

⁂

Shivering, I wrapped the yukata closer to my body. The summer months neared, but nights were still far off from being warm and the thin cloth that had been prepared as sleepwear for me did little against the chilly breeze. Both Hiratsuka-sensei and Komachi-chan had already turned in for the night, slumbering away quietly in the room we shared. Despite my reluctance and the lack of need for, the three of us ended up in the same room and the two of them continued talking well into the night, despite two of us needing to awaken early the next day. Yet despite all the work done throughout the day and having almost fallen asleep while in the bath, I was currently walking, very much awake, through the hallways in the middle of the night.

I would have liked to join them in the world of dreams, but my parched throat had all but allowed me sleep. No doubt, it was the ramen from earlier. I admit, it was more delicious than I had expected, especially from what should have been a simple dish, but the flavor was much more impactful than I was used to, and as a result, its effects were felt even now. Currently, I was returning back to the room after my midnight excursion to the kitchen.

As I gazed through the glass doors that separated the hallways from the interior garden, a sight at the other end of the house caught my eyes. Since I was heading back in that direction anyways, I decided to sate my curiosity. Quickly I rounded a corner, and then another, making my way past the bedroom before stopping. With the glass door pulled open, he sat down in the hallway, with his legs dangling off the side. I had thought so earlier, after he had stepped out from the bath, but the yukata he wore fit him surprisingly… well. I-i-it's not like I thought he looked good in it or anything! But... it suited him.

"Good evening, Hikigaya-kun. I'd say good night, but that's more of a farewell than a greeting."

"Yukinoshita?" he said, turning around in surprise. After a quick glance, he returned his focus back to whatever he was staring at earlier. "I'm surprised you're still up. We have school tomorrow, you know?"

"I could say the same you to, mister." I replied with a chuckle. Gently, I lowered myself to a sitting position as well, similarly hanging my legs off the hallway. Despite having only wanted to return to the comfort of my sheets only a few seconds ago, I found myself sitting beside Hikigaya-kun, not knowing for certain why. The chill I felt from earlier seemed to have disappeared, as if prompting me to enjoy the night, just a bit longer.

"Couldn't sleep," he shrugged. "I came out to, uh… watch the stars, I guess." With a sweeping gesture from his arms, he continued, "Shizuka's house has one of the best views." I could see what he meant. Even disregarding the beautiful garden sprawled out before us, which had somehow miraculously escaped any noticeable damage as a result of Hiratsuka-sensei's neglect, the large space occupied by it as well as the bamboo grove running the perimeter blocked any obtrusive manmade objects from view. Out of sight, out of mind; I could definitely understand how sitting here could be so relaxing.

"Well… I say stars, but there's not exactly too many stars to see right now. Still, when the sky's clear, this is probably one of the best places to see, even from the city." Certainly, wispy clouds hung low in the sky, and a general haze left the sky dark and devoid of any glimmers. Still, it was the full moon tonight. Shining brightly, it occasionally poked out behind the drifting clouds, illuminating the garden, as if combatting that darkness.

"Hikigaya-kun, you're interested in astronomy?"

"Uh… well, not really in the technical sense, at least. I looked up a bunch of stuff back during middle school—things that would probably constitute as nothing more than trivia. That'd be as far as any actual knowledge I have goes."

"Oh? I'm surprised, Hikigaya-kun. Considering how well you do in school, I thought you of all people would know everything."

"Don't even joke about that… The only reason the math and science in class are so easy is because my mom pretty much beat it all into me as a child... "

"...Is your mother strict?"

"Hmm? Oh, no, not at all—she's not super harsh or anything. In fact, I'd probably say it was the opposite…"

"I'm sorry? I didn't quite catch that last bit."

"Uh, nothing. Anyways, she was just always overly concerned with our educations. In fact, she's probably the reason why Komachi's marks are still fine, if anything. Anyways, should you of all people really be saying that, Miss Rank 1?"

"You know I didn't truly earn that! If you would just turn your assignments in properly the first time for literature, we'd still be tied, Mister Rank 2!"

"Actually… I apparently dropped to 3rd in our grade…"

"Y-y-you, what?!"

"H-hey, I'm still on the podium at least, right? Still… being behind _that_ guy of all people is pretty irritating…"

"Ah… Hayama-kun, huh?" Hayama Hayato, my… childhood friend, also attended Sobu High, though he was in the F class as opposed to the J class, like Hikigaya-kun and I. I suppose normally, it would be pretty rare for three overseas students to all attend the same high school years later, but when you considered the fact that our families were friends and the reputation of Sobu High, it wasn't too surprising that we'd end up attending the same school. It was last week that Hikigaya-kun ran into Hayama-kun again, instantly reigniting the former's _strong_ aversion towards the latter. It was also last week that Hikigaya-kun finally remembered who I was.

Shifting my body, I turned to face him. "Say, Hikigaya-kun."

"Hmm?" Noticing the shift in mood, he turned his attention away from the garden to look at me.

"What do you think of me?"

For an instant, his eyes bulged. Then he broke into a coughing fit.

"W-w-what… what the hell kind of question is that?!"

"Huh?" _What was that reaction for?_ "Well since you finally remembered me properly, I just wanted to know what you thought of the me now compared to back then."

His eyes widened in disbelief before he let out a groan and smacked his hand against his head, mumbling something under his breath about _this girl_ and _ignorance_.

"Hikigaya-kun, if you're going to talk about me, I'd prefer that you say it directly towards me. In fact, I specifically asked that you do so."

He let out a sigh.

"You've, uh… grown, I guess..."

"...Ah. I see... Thanks."

"Wait a minute! What's with that look of disappointment and pity?! Why do you look like you're questioning your choice to ask me anything in the first place?! I obviously wasn't done yet!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about Hikigaya-kun. Anyways, if you more to say, hurry it up. I _would_ like to go to sleep sometime tonight."

He let out another sigh of frustration. "What I meant was that you've really matured, _emotionally_. Honestly, I still can't believe that you're that same crybaby from back then." I threw a small punch at him, hoping to communicate my annoyance, but he easily blocked it. "If anything, I think it'd actually be pretty funny if you ran into those girls from back then again, just to see how'd they deal with you now, if it wasn't for the high possibility that you might actually cause them lasting mental trauma with that sharp tongue of yours."

"I see… Thank you… I mean it sincerely this time."

"...No problem. What was that about anyways, though? I think the person in question themselves would best be able to judge their own progress."

I hesitated, my own words from earlier lingering in my mind. _What if Hikigaya-kun doesn't have friends because of me?_ Is it my fault he avoids talking to others in class? Is it my fault he ended up alone? Does… does Hikigaya-kun actually hate me?

…

No… It's like Komachi-chan said—that's simply the type of person he is. If I hadn't needed help, then he simply would have saved someone else. Not caring about the opinions, he'll walk his own path, unwavering. If he's alone now, then it;s by his own choice—it's up to me to make him change his decision. But for now, at the very least, I don't believe he feels that way… probably.

"I… wanted to apologize. I've thanked you before countless times now, but I don't think I've apologized to you once yet."

"About what? If it's about what happened last week, there's no need to worry. Compared to what Shizuka does on a daily basis, it was nothing."

With a quick twist, I seriously jabbed my fist into his side this time. "I thought I told you to forget about that! A-anyways, no, it's about what happened back then, in elementary school. I… I'm sorry that I burdened you with my problems and that I relied on you so one-sidedly… It would have been a different matter if I had contributed something, but it was always you helping me out, wasn't it? If you hadn't wasted all of your time on me, you could have made friends..."

"..."

 _He's not saying anything… I shouldn't have brought it up, I shouldn't have said anything. Why couldn't I be satisfied with what I had, why did I try changing it?! If he didn't before, he definitely does now. He hates me he hates me he hates me he hates me he hat—_

"JUST WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM?!"

"H-huh?!"

"I'm the ruler of the dark, ally of none— the self-proclaimed, great Loner King, with _emphasis_ on KING, got it? I derive my greatest pleasure from being alone and no mere mortal could possibly ever change that!"

"Hikigaya-kun…"

"Quiet! You want proof? Fine! Then how about the fact that despite seeing you almost every single day for the past month, it wasn't until last week that I finally remembered who you were? If I actually _wanted_ friends, and if for some idiotic reason, I actually believed it to be your fault, would that really have been the case?"

 _I see… I certainly can't argue with that… Thank goodness._

"Fu-fu… fuahaha… Ahahaha-ahahaha!"

"H-hey! Why are you laughing?!"

"S-sorry, Hikigaya-kun. Fu-fuaha, that was just, too much."

"D-don't laugh!"

 _Whew_. I pushed myself up, back onto the hallway and brushed off the back of my yukata.

"Thank you, Hikigaya-kun."

"...Yeah, whatever," he replied, turning away. "If you realized what I was doing, then do me a favor and never mention it again."

"Understood. Good night, _Loner King_."

" _Oi!_ "

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hello, blank-san here. Long time no see!**

 **Quick note—this side story does indeed take place a fair bit after the introduction of Yuigahama, though not quite into the summer yet. If I had to give a date... sometime in very late April or early May? The next chapter will be going back a bit though, specifically a week before this side story.**

 **...**

 **Well, uh... I really have nothing to say at this point. This chapter ended up occupying so much time and while I'm satisfied with how it came out, I'm glad it's over. I was planning on another side story that expanded on Hiratsuka-sensei's past, but... I'll put that off for now. Anyways, with that out of the way, its back to regular updates!... is what I'd like to say, but I don't think any of us are actually expecting that out of me.**

 **This series started as what was supposed to be a lighter, shorter alternative that I could write more easily, but clearly, that quickly grew out of control. Most likely, from now on, I'll simply update whenever I actually finish what I feel constitutes a "chapter". In return, future chapters will continue to be of consistently long lengths, as well as hopefully keeping up quality and containing a general story within a chapter. Of course, its impossible to wrap up every chapter nicely, but in general, I'll try and leave each chapter with some sort of conclusion, just so you guys aren't left hanging.**

 **Anyways, with that out of the way, its finally time to talk about comments! This is something I've been wanting to do since I first started this "chapter", but we know what happened with that... Whatever, here we go!**

 **To wildarms13 regarding the location of their elementary school (wow this was a while ago): I was just as confused as you when I tried to piece together their childhood. In the canon, its stated that Yukinoshita and Hayama both attended the same elementary school together, outside of Japan (most likely the USA, but not 100% sure). Regardless of that fact, Yukinoshita tells Hikigaya during one of their first meetings that her indoor slippers were stolen a total of 60 times with around 50 of those incidents being due to bullying by her female classmates. Most likely, they attend some sort of international academy that has Japanese roots, which would explain the indoor slippers. Also regarding your question about whether there would be any other OOC characters. Aside from the ones already shown, probably not. I wrote this series largely based off the hypothetical situation brought up by Hayama during the summer camp, precisely, what would have occurred had Hikigaya attended the same elementary school as them. As such, the focus of the story will be regarding the changes concerning Hikigaya and how those changes affect those around him with a notable example being Yukinoshita. So while yes, characters will change, the cause of those changes will be due to the interactions they have rather than any changes to their characterization itself.**

 **To Velocityshade regarding Hikigaya's dubious math skills: Haha, yes. A lot of stories seem to portray Hikigaya as innately being bad with any calculations which is understandable. Aside from literature, he isn't exactly a high scorer in the canon with his math and science skills being so poor, he often pokes fun at them himself. Of course, the canon also mentions that a lot of Hikigaya's problems in those fields stem from the fact that he simply doesn't have anyone he can ask for help, leaving him in an endless cycle of failure and falling behind. Now, Hikigaya is still undoubtedly a loner here, but there are reasons for his overall intellect, which I'll be touching on in the future.**

 **To the one guest who commented about Kamakura in chapter 4: You're right, I completely forgot about Kamakura and for that, I'm so sorry. It definitely would have been interesting to see the interactions between Yukinoshita and the Hikigaya household cat. Hopefully, I'll find a future episode where he'll fit.**

 **To daytonanerd regarding the setting and the perspective: Working a year ahead is definitely challenging, but it's also sort of liberating. If you go back and look though the eleven novels, an unbelievable amount of events have been crammed in over the course of their second year. While starting with the first year means I'll have to create much of the story with no real guideline, hopefully I'll be able to spread out some of those events throughout the two years while adding my own in between. It's funny that you mention the time line though. Upon first conceiving this story, I wrote down a ton of details regarding the placement of events and how I could rearrange certain events that I felt could fit in earlier while still trying to ensure that things progressed in a way that made sense. I even have this super detailed time line with dates and everything trying to get it as consistent as possible and making sure that I didn't screw anything up by starting a year early (笑). As for choosing to write from Yukinoshita's perspective and as for the general style I chose to use itself, I was inspired by SnowPlow and their story My Adolescent Romantic Comedy Is Incorrect As I Had Logically Proven. It's a retelling of the series, picking up from the school trip (in other words, season two) told from the perspective of Yukinoshita. While it's definitely a bit old by now, and it hasn't updated in a year (and most likely won't until a new volume comes out), it's definitely one of the best stories written for Oregairu. To those of you who haven't heard of it or simply haven't read it, GO READ IT RIGHT NOW. Seriously, it's that good. As for making a tenth grader do surface integrals, their math teacher certainly is sadistic isn't he? Of course, Hikigaya knocked him down a couple of pegs.**

 **To that other guest who left a review on chapter 5 regarding following the story too closely: Admittedly, that was one of the things that bugged me about the last chapter. However, I felt that that was the best way to introduce Yuigahama to both Yukinoshita and Hikigaya as well as the service club. Hopefully this chapter helps address that issue, by being a completely original chapter (at least, I hope). While I'd like to promise that I'll try and stay away from using too much canon material in the future, unfortunately, that will most likely be impossible. There are a lot of events, especially in the later part of the series which I feel are major defining moments for the cast that heavily affect who they view themselves as and what they do afterwards. However, while I'll probably be covering events that happen in canon, rest assured, as the series progresses and as the characters change, it'll definitely have an impact on how those events play out.**

 **Finally, to Ausko, regarding the title of the series: Hmm… Rather than Oregairu:Zero, perhaps Oregairu/Zero would have been better? Ahaha… Joking aside, no I wouldn't say that the story had any tie-ins to any other series with which the title resembles. When I wrote up the first chapter, the prologue, I hadn't thought out a title yet. For my other series, I played with the tropes of people creating various spin-off-esque titles of Oregairu (cue My Adolescent Romantic Comedy Is Incorrect As I Had Logically Proven), the increasingly hilarious trend of light novels with excessively long titles, as well as the increasing amount of _isekai_ , or parallel world stories. However, since this story was to be more true to the original, I wanted something less convoluted, if only to make it slightly easier to read. The Zero in the title refers not only to how the story is a retelling of the series, but also to events that occur well beforehand and how those events affect how things play out. It's not a true prequel, so perhaps the title is a bit misleading, but regardless, I felt it was fitting.**

 **On that note, once more, thank you all for your support, and I hope that you continue to enjoy my story.**


	8. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5: The General and His Goddess**  
_

* * *

 _I swear, if this girl makes me wait a minute longer… Just where is she?_ My legs were crossed with one bouncing up and down, an involuntary attempt at keeping calm that seemed to do little good. I glanced at the standard wall clock that was present in every room for the _nth_ time in the past couple of minutes, but my impatience was for a good reason.

 _11:30? She's seriously late. Despite her inviting ME of all people to lunch and then not even showing up on time… That Yuigahama Yui seriously has some nerve._

Lunch at Sobu High lasted 30 minutes. It wasn't much time, but it _was_ enough to eat lunch, and even go buy it if necessary. Adding in the 5 minutes allotted before and after, and it brought the lunch break up to a grand total of 40 minutes. In the first place, Sobu High focused on academics so something like socializing during the lunch hour was completely unnecessary, yet even so, Yuigahama had insisted on eating lunch with me. Of course, I had refused, but even I could only handle so much of her badgering before I crumpled.

 _Especially after all that, this girl dare makes me wait on her?!_

 _*KNOCK* * KNOCK*_

"You're late, Yuiga—! …Hikigaya-kun?"

"Yo," he replied, in his usual listless tone.

"Hikigaya-kun, what are you doing here?" It was to my great chagrin during the first week that I simply could not locate him at all during our lunch break. Even now, when he wasn't actively avoiding me, I still hadn't the foggiest clue where exactly he disappeared to.

Honestly, he was like a stray cat, appearing only when it best suited him. Hikigaya-kun, sadly, had almost none of the charms that made cats so preciously adorable. W-well, if I had to give him points for something… I suppose his sharp gaze had a certain charm, regardless of what others seemed to think of his eyes. I wonder why it seemed so familiar though…

 _Wait a minute! Why am I suddenly complementing Hikigaya-kun?!_

T-t-that must be because I compared him to a cat, r-right?! I just felt bad—I was grateful to Hikigaya-kun after all. I was just instinctively looking for what little good points he had because that would have been too unfair to Hikigaya-kun, right?!

Seemingly unaware of my internal strife, though also unlikely to care, Hikigaya-kun went to the back of the class, grabbing one of the many stacked up chairs before placing it down in his new spot. Previously, I was simply using a small student desk by the window. After Hikigaya-kun joined, he simply sat on the opposite side, but with the recent and increasingly frequent visits by one Yuigahama Yui, that setup was no longer viable and I realized that'd we'd need a larger table if we truly wanted to welcome clients. Still, there was no need for him to sit all the way on the far end of the table…

"Thanks to this rain, I can't eat at my usual place. I figured the club room would be empty, but when I swung by the office, Hiratsuka told me you already took the key. Anyways, Yukinoshita, don't tell me you've been eating here alone every day?"

"S-s-so what? Is there a problem with me eating alone?" _What exactly is he trying to say?!_

"Of course there is! You had such a prime location all to yourself and you didn't even tell me?!"

Right… This is Hikigaya-kun were talking about here… There's no way he'd share the same values as regular people. Just what exactly was I so scared of?

"I-it's not like I haven't tried to invite you to eat together before. It's not my fault you're impossible to locate during lunch. Anyways, if you're trying to eat alone, wouldn't eating in the club room be pointless anyways? I don't have an issue with you being here, but if you ask me to leave, I'm going to have to refuse."

"R-right… Well, I'll just eat here for today then—no need to mind me."

"That's fine…"

…

 _This isn't fine!_ Regardless of how late she is, Yuigahama is still going to be here isn't she?! Normally, this wouldn't be anything to worry about, but Yuigahama has caused me no shortage of grief in the short week that I've known her.

Somehow, that girl managed to form the mistaken assumption that Hikigaya-kun and I were a couple. It had taken too much of both my time and effort to finally convince her otherwise, and when I finally do, for some reason, she decides to hit me with the bombshell that _she_ actually likes Hikigaya-kun. Yes, the one and same. I had checked again and again, just to be sure, and Yuigahama apparently truly did have at least some degree of romantic feelings towards Hikigaya-kun. The question then was, why was she approaching me?

After I had helped her out last week with her request, she developed some strange sort of respect for me. Of course, it was only natural that others would look towards me as a beacon and as a role model to follow, but… after being ruthlessly lectured by that person? Regardless, I was now stuck with this strange girl trying to foist her skewed idea of "friendship" off onto me, a battle I had somehow managed to lose despite my struggles and resistance...

Additionally, I was the only person close to Hikigaya-kun—well, if you could call our relationship "close". From what I had seen and heard, it seemed that for the most part, Hikigaya-kun tended to brush off the interactions of others, including our fellow class J students, which really didn't do his already poor reputation any good. Still, I had no real issues talking with Hikigaya-kun and he even seemed willing to talk to others as long as it was for the club, thus Yuigahama's other reason for approaching me. Honestly, that sort of sneaky, backhanded maneuvering normally would have bothered me, but she was so transparent about her goals with me, I didn't feel the usual disgust that such an act would have invoked. A-and I suppose she seemed to genuinely want to become f-friends with me as well…

 _Argh! Whatever! This isn't my area of expertise anyways._ Pushing out of my chair, I made my way over to the door. If Yuigahama isn't capable of making it to the club room by herself, I'll just have to drag her here myself!

"Oh, you're leaving? Works for me I guess, having the room to myself."

"You! Don't start eating before everyone's at the table! You're coming with me."

"Huh?!"

⁂

"You're eating with _her_?"

"Hikigaya-kun, you can't just call Yuigahama-san _her_. She has a name you know."

"Yeah, yeah. Since when did you two get so friendly anyways? I thought you hated her."

"I don't _hate_ anyone, unlike you. There's just some people I don't… that I have a hard time getting along with, okay?" Anyways… 1-F… 1-F…here it is.

Despite the fact that it was currently lunch break, the usual chatter of students was nowhere to be heard. Tension seemed to radiate from the classroom and I'm sure any lesser person would have turned away right then. However, the silence only made it that much easier to notice the events currently occurring within.

" _Hah?_ What do you mean you can't?"

"S-sorry Yumiko. I-it's just, I promised to eat lunch with someone else today…"

"Just a moment Yui. Haven't you been kinda cold lately? Like, you always leave right after school to go somewhere now. Weren't you like, the one who wanted to be friends in the first place?"

"No! That's true, but…"

"But what?! If you've got something you wanna say, then spit it out already."

"..."

That's it. I've heard more than enough. I pushed the door open with all my might, shattering the tense atmosphere in an instant.

"Eh? Y-Yukinon!"

"Yuigahama-san, you're late. I believe you were supposed to meet me in the clubroom ten minutes ago."

"Ah! S-sorry. I got caught up with something, but I'll still be there, I promise!"

"Hey, wait a minute! We were in the middle of a conversation—just who do you think you are butting in like that?"

Unnatural blonde, curled hair. Accessories and a modified uniform. A pompous air of superiority. If I recalled correctly, this girl's name was Miura Yumiko. Her condescending tone reminded me all too much of a certain girl back from elementary school. I had long grown used to dealing with her type.

"Oh? Was that what you call a conversation? I was under the impression that a conversation involved two people each expressing their opinions? From my perspective, it was just a chattering ape that didn't know when to shut its mouth."

"Wha—What did you say?!"

"I believe I was quite clear with my statement? Perhaps if you closed your mouth for a second, you'd be able to learn to listen?"

"Y-you!"

"Hey, hey, let's all calm down. There's no need to argue. We're all classmates after all, right?"

A smooth voice cut off me off, right as I was about to finish Miura-san. For most girls, his voice was enough to charm them, but if it didn't, his handsome looks certainly would. If my good looks were the ideal that women wished for, then his would be considered the ideal for men. He was Hayama Hayato…

"Long time no see, Yukino… Yukinoshita-san."

…My so-called childhood friend.

Despite our long history, there was little to no trace left of the once cherished bond that had connected the two of us. It had long been destroyed by his actions, but it wasn't something that the me that existed now wanted to salvage anyways. I had chosen to attend an all-female school for junior high, and I had done my best to avoid attending any family events where I might have run into him, so it had been three years since I had last properly seen him. Even so, he stood there with his usual charming smile acting as if nothing was wrong.

Seeing that smile again… truly reminded me just how much I had grown to detested this man.

"Hayama-san. Even now, you'll choose to stand on the sidelines and just watch? I see you haven't changed in the slightest." I said it in a low voice, so that only those close could hear. The others had confused expressions on their faces, but the expression Hayama made clearly told me he was taken aback and that my message had made it through, easing away some of the irritation I felt.

So? How does it feel? The regret? The bitterness? I see you at least feel somewhat ashamed by your actions. Well you don't deserve to pity yourself after what you did! Not when you haven't done a thing to change yourself for the better! I'll have you know, the pain that I endured was a thousand times—

"Yukinon!"

There was only one person who would call me such a childish name. Turning, I faced Yuigahama who had kept quiet this whole time.

"Um… thank you. But I have this! Just go back to the club and I meet you there, okay?"

I should have had no reason to believe her just judging by the scene that Hikigaya-kun and I had walked into. If I was smart, I would have dragged her out of the classroom with me. If I had been smarter, I would have managed to avoid being coerced into eating lunch with Yuigahama in the first place. Still…

The light in her eyes sent my mind back to last week when I had seen firsthand exactly how much willpower this girl had tucked away within her.

…Fine.

" _Humph_. Hikigaya-kun, let's go."

"Huh? Er, r-right."

As I left the classroom with Hikigaya-kun trailing behind me, a clamor erupted out from behind us, the frozen students quickly rushing out by the doorful. Still, I ignored the chaos. There was something else that had been bothering me the whole time.

...

I hadn't exactly expected anything out of him, but aside from his short response, Hikigaya-kun hadn't said a word since we made our visit to the classroom. Not only that, but…

…

Yup. As I turned around, Hikigaya-kun quickly whipped his head towards the window, an almost flawless act that would have fooled any lesser being. _Almost_ wasn't even close enough to fool me though. I had noticed that he had been staring at me ever since we had left the classroom, and I normally wouldn't have made such a fuss about it, except he was going about it in such a roundabout manner, it was beginning to irk me.

" _Hah_ … Hikigaya-kun, if you have something on your mind, I'd prefer that you just say it. You're gawking is making me uncomfortable and I'm starting to believe that some of our classmates are justified calling you _Creepygaya_."

"They call me _what_?! Ugh… you know what? Never mind."

"No, I insist, if there's something bothering you, I'll listen to your woes just this once. Rejoice, Hikigaya-kun. Not many people would be gifted with the opportunity to have _me_ listen to their troubles after all."

…

It was a joke. Hikigaya-kun, if you don't say anything, I might actually die of embarrassment, you know? I had thought that the silence meant that Hikigaya-kun didn't want to say anything after all, but turning around, it seemed he had just been deep in thought. Sure enough, after a couple more seconds, he spoke.

"It's nothing big. I was just a bit surprised, that's all, though perhaps _a bit_ is a bit of an understatement… Yup, shocked is definitely more like it."

"By Yuigahama-san? I'll admit that I was a bit surprised too when she decided to take the reins, but it's not like it's the first time we've seen that girl display such courage."

"No, not Yuigahama. I was talking about you."

"... Eh?"

"It was quite the eye-opening experience. I never imagined that that shy little girl would one day directly challenge the queen of the class and so brutally destroy her. Even I have to admit how impressive that was."

"... _Eh?!_ W-w-wait! So, this whole time, you did remember?!"

"Nope. I definitely remembered everything just now. You can thank that blonde bitch—"

"Hikigaya-kun!"

"... Our _lovely_ classmate from earlier for helping me remember. Her act was perfect. Without even realizing it, I found myself staring at that scene from years ago."

" _Oh_ … So, I was such a small existence, I was only remembered as a side character. I see…"

"Are you kidding me? Do you have any idea how much you scared me?! I thought I would see the same thing happen all over again, you idiot!"

"H-huh?"

"Anyways, imagine my surprise when that shy little girl from my memories boldly stood up for another person without a shred of hesitation. You kept going on and on about thanking me for helping you in the past but if you actually just told me who you were, I would have remembered much faster."

"S-shut up! You're the idiot! This is exactly why I couldn't mention it!" _You're the last person that I wanted to know of my weakness…_ "A-anyways, let's just believe in Yuigahama-san for now and return to the club room. We've wasted enough of our lunch break as is."

⁂

Once more, Hikigaya-kun was called to the teachers' office after classes had ended for another one of his crude papers. I really shouldn't have been surprised at this point. It would have been more of a shock had he actually turned in a paper not contaminated with his snarky remarks and rotten worldly views. As usual, I proceeded to the clubroom alone.

The trip there was uneventful. It was a short, five-minute walk between the main building where the classrooms were and the special building dedicated to club and other use. Though Sobu High was renowned for its academics, we had our fair share of sports clubs as well. In fact, if I had to estimate, about thirty percent of the student body was involved with our sports teams, with the football and basketball teams being the biggest two. Another thirty percent of the student body formed the social and cultural clubs, and were the ones who really utilized the special building. Despite its relatively low amount of use compared to the main building, the special building was pretty much identical in size to the main building. If seen from an aerial view, the main entrance connected the two buildings together like the "H" from Latin script.

I passed a couple of classmates along the way, with whom I would exchange greetings, but due to the low population of the building and the general isolated location of the service club, the hallways remained quiet, devoid of life. Perhaps that is why it had caught me so off guard.

Just as I had reached the club room and was about to open the door, I froze.

 _No one should be here yet._

Movement seen from through the small window on the door had caught my notice. As the sole two members of the club, Hikigaya-kun and I were the only two who would be here this early, and Hikigaya-kun wouldn't be arriving until Hiratsuka-sensei was finally done lecturing him. Yuigahama had been appearing more and more recently, but her classroom was situated further from the clubroom than ours and it took her a bit longer to arrive. In addition, she seemed the type to linger in the classroom as well, with no club duties to attend to, but no desire to return home immediately like a certain someone did.

Was it a burglar? No—any suspicious figures would have been stopped at the gate and it wasn't like the Service Club had anything worth stealing anyways. In that case, the most logical solution was that it was a prospective client. Still, something felt off. I shifted slightly, enough that I could see through the window, but without being noticed myself.

 _What the…?_

" _Wa-ha-ha-ha!_ Rejoice, for it is I, Zaimokuza Yoshiteru! Though the Dark Legion might be upon us, with my powers, we have nothing to fear!... Hmmm… No, that doesn't seem right. Maybe it should be something more like… Behold! The dark power sealed within my right arm surges!"

Though the trench coat he wore made it difficult to tell, it did seem that the person inside was at least a student here. The feelings of suspicion that I had were spot on though. This… _student_ … had been making strange poses along with moving in a dramatic fashion and their weird mutterings didn't make any sense to me despite how many times I ran them through my head.

"Yukinon! Yahallo!"

"Y-Yuigahama-san! …Good afternoon," I replied, turning to face the girl who came running down the hallway. Yuigahama's unexpected greeting had caught me by surprise, though she didn't seem to notice. Still, I was a bit peeved at how she had managed to sneak up on me. "Didn't I already tell you not to call me that?"

"Ehhh? Why not?"

"We're… Never mind. Now's not the time for that anyways." I returned my focus to the clubroom. There were more pressing concerns right now than the pet names Yuigahama liked to hand out.

"So why were you out here Yukinon?"

Figuring it easier to just show her rather than explain, I stepped aside and gestured towards the window. Taking my spot, Yuigahama curiously peeked in before recoiling back after a few seconds.

" _Uwah_! Who is that? I don't want to be mean, but he's kind of creepy…"

Truthfully, for once, I couldn't agree anymore with Yuigahama. Still, he was a student of this school. Gesturing for Yuigahama to move aside, I grabbed the handle of the door.

"Wait a minute, Yukinon!" Yuigahama cried, pulling on my sleeve. "You're not planning on going in there, are you?"

"Of course. It is _my_ clubroom and I can't exactly get club activities started without it."

"Yeah… b-but what if he's dangerous?!"

"Yuigahama-san… I appreciate your concern, but I can assure you, I'm more than confident in my ability to handle a scoundrel or two. Should things get physical, I promise you that _I_ will be the one sending others to the hospital."

"That's… so cool! …Okay! I'm coming too then!"

I couldn't help but let out a chuckle as Yuigahama pumped her fists in a show of determination. I suppose that showing she gave us this afternoon wasn't simply a fluke after all then.

"Then, are you ready?"

"Y-yeah!"

"Very well then. Let us go."

With the handle within my grasp, I opened the door once and for all.

The door slid open with a loud _bang_ as it collided with the door frame, causing the student inside as well as Yuigahama, who had been standing uncomfortably close behind me, to jump. This was all according to my calculations of course. There was no better way to draw his attention from whatever noise he was making then to create a larger noise. Of course, I felt bad for having potentially damaged school property. I'll have Hikigaya-kun check the door later for any scratches or other problems.

"Good afternoon. I'm Yukinoshita Yukino, the president of this club. Seeing as you're here, I'm assuming you know what we do. To start off though, could I get your name?"

As he turned around in surprise, I was able to get a good look at him for the first time. His most striking feature was his white mane of hair, hopefully a result of dye as opposed to stress or age. Despite Sobu's reputation as the number one preparatory school in the city, school regulations were rather lax with the dress code; as long as students wore the uniform, they were free to accessorize as they pleased, something that many of the students took full advantage of. And just what was wrong with black hair anyways?

Aside from that, the standard uniform that decorated his stout frame confirmed my earlier deductions based off what I had glimpsed past that trench coat of his. Speaking of, why exactly was he wearing it in the first place? Sure, we were still in our winter uniforms, but it wasn't exactly chilly anymore. In a few weeks, the school would be swapping over to the summer uniforms. In addition, I could see the sweat beading down his face and a slight, but noticeable putrid scent seemed to be radiating from his general direction that the sea breeze coming in from the open window seemed to do little to.

I couldn't help but feel annoyed with myself. More than anyone, I should have understood the feelings of being judged by others for something superficial. Even so, I was unable the thoughts from forming within my head.

 _This guy… is kind of gross…_

…

Still, if a student came here, it was certain that they had a request they wanted fulfilled and as the president of the Service Club, it was my duty to see their requests through. Zaimokuza… Yoshiteru… is what I believe to be his name, but it was so jumbled in with the rest of the nonsense he was muttering earlier, I couldn't be certain. Despite my earlier introduction, he had yet to reciprocate the gesture, instead, standing there slack-jawed and dazed.

" _Ahem._ You ARE here for the Service Club, right? Could I please get your name?"

That seemed to snap him out of his daze. Looking panicked, he quickly glanced around the room as if searching for something or someone. Hello, right in front of you. The only other people in this barren room. Yes, I was talking to you. I was just about to kick him out by word or by force when he finally decided to speak.

"Ugh… I-I'm… I AM THE GREAT BLADEMASTER GENERAL YOSHITERU! FIGHTING AGAINST THE DAR—"

"I'm going to have to ask you to stop that incessant shouting of yours. We are still at school and your thoughtlessness is putting a strain on my ears. If you insist on continuing, I will have to ask you to leave."

"R-right! W-well then… Fighting against the dark forces, I have been reborn into this age. Though I walk this path alone to protect the faceless masses, it seems that this task cannot be completed by one. Thus, in order to complete this task, I seek those with the same goal as I. I was informed by the great sage that I could find such individuals here."

"Could you stop with that poor imitation of archaic dialogue that you're trying to recreate. No one speaks like that in the modern day and quite honestly, it's just grating to listen to. If you're trying to make a request, do it properly."

"Urk—… Um… s-sorry. I-if I may just inquire, is Hachiman here? The grea—Hiratsuka-sensei informed me that he was a part of this club."

" _Hah?_ I'll have you know, I am the president of this club. If you have a request, there should be no problem with me listening, right?"

" _Eeek!"_

"Hey, Yukinon? So, do you get what's up with this guy?" Yuigahama whispered in my ear.

"Unfortunately not. Even I don't know everything," I said with a sigh while rubbing my head with my hand in an attempt to dispel the massive oncoming headache.

A knock came from the door and another person entered the room.

"Why's the door open? We got a client or something?"

"Hikiga—" "Hikki—"

"HACHIMAN!"

" _Woah—_ Oh, gross! Zaimokuza?! What the hell?! Get off me!"

"Hachiman! You understand, right? As a fellow traveler on the path of solitude, we share an unspoken bond!"

" _Oi_ , you're creeping me out here! I said get the hell off me! Yukinoshita, don't just stand there!"

"Hmm… I guess I should have known that any friends of yours couldn't be normal, right, Hikigaya-kun?"

"Don't screw with me, I hardly know this guy! We were just forced to partner up in our gym class! Besides, what does that make you then?"

"Oh? I suppose you bring up a valid point. I must be blessed by the gods themselves, having managed to dodge that bullet."

"You mean the bullet that _I_ managed to dodge?! Ugh… Never mind. So? What's he doing here anyways?"

"I believe he has a request for us to fulfill, but I can't manage to get past that undecipherable nonsense he keeps spewing out.

" _Ah_ … Yeah, he's got a pretty severe case of chuunibyou."

Chuu-ni-byou…?

"I'm… sorry, I'm afraid I don't follow?"

"You know, chuunibyou? As in second year, middle school disease, or 8th grader syndrome?"

"Yes, I'm quite aware of what the words mean, Hikigaya-kun. I'm asking for what it is. I've never heard of such a disease before."

"Right… I guess the two of you wouldn't know about that sort of thing. How do I explain this…? Well to start, it's not contagious, or rather, it's not even a real disease, so you don't have to stand so far away."

"Oh, sorry. Your displays of affection from earlier were seriously off putting so I might have unconsciously moved myself away then."

"Did it _look_ like I had any say in that?! Anyways… Chuunibyou is when someone pretends that they different from others. Usually, it'll just be something where someone acts like they know more than everyone or that they're simply above others, but there are extreme cases where such individuals believe they're so special, they craft backstories for themselves and act it out. This guy would be one of those cases. Well luckily, his is pretty easy to figure out. In his case, he based his character off of the shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiteru, because they share the same name and most of his ramblings and backstory seem to be based off of history as well. Apparently, the reason he decided to latch onto me was thanks to this as well since I share my name with the god of war… Anyways, it happens pretty often around that age, thus _chuunibyou_. It's obviously not permanent, but how long they tend to act like this differs from person to person. Basically though, they're just people who think they're special."

"Hmm… I see... To think you were suffering from this disease this whole time Hikigaya-kun. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so harsh with you."

"Oi, wait a moment. I think you've got the wrong idea here. Zaimokuza has chuunibyou. Not me."

"Oh my! But didn't you say that people with this disease think they're better than others?"

"There's a difference between being a loner and having chuunibyou! Besides, if we're judging by that standard, then what do you have to say for yourself, Miss 'I'll be the guiding light for these lost, little lambs'!"

"Hikigaya-kun, I don't _believe_ myself to be better than my peers. It's simply my _fate_. With this prestigious blood flowing through my veins, it's my duty to be better than others and being so blessed with opportunities, I've taken it upon myself to help the less fortunate."

"I—… I don't know whether to be impressed or disappointed that you grew up into this..."

"Uhm… I don't get it…" a small voice said, cutting in.

"Yuigahama, huh… I guess it really is hard to explain without any real background information—rather I'm surprised Yukinoshita got it so quick. Then again, this is _her_ that we're talking about here. Ah, geez… I thought just being in Zaimokuza's vicinity would have served as a pretty decent example, but I guess he managed to hold himself back pretty well if you still don't understand it. An example, huh… an example… _Oh!_ "

"What is it, Hikigaya-kun?"

"Oh, uh… I just remembered one particularly strong case."

" _Ooh!_ Tell us about it! Maybe it'll help me understand!"

" _Urk—_ I… I don't know. I'm getting chills for some reason… Just… just forget I ever mentioned it."

"Come on Hikki! You can't just let me bite the dust like that."

"Yuigahama-san… I believe the phrase you're looking for is 'leave me in the dust'… Regardless, she has a point Hikigaya-kun. You said an example would make it easier to understand, right?"

"You're really putting me in a tough spot here… Alright, fine. I guess there's no way she'd know anyways… Let me just see if I remember how this went…"

After several seconds of thought and an unnecessarily loud cough, Hikigaya-kun began his story.

"A long time ago, in a very distant past, 15 gods existed. Together, they worked to craft the universe from small creatures like plants and animals, to the large planets those creatures inhabited, to even the massive stars that occupied the skies. Perhaps the greatest creation of all though was crafted by a single goddess, Luminia of the Light. With her kindness and grace, she bestowed the gift of intelligence amongst the servants of the gods, mankind, granting them cognizance and spirit. Tired, but satisfied with their creations, the gods entrusted this new world onto humanity and fell into a deep slumber.

Millennia later, with their strength restored, the gods awoke to a changed world. Using the gift of Luminia, mankind had advanced creating tools and working together to shape the world around them, much like the gods had themselves. The gods were less than pleased with what they saw.

Crime and injustice overflowed in abundance within the societies created by man. Corrupted by sin, mankind proved far too willing to sacrifice one another for gain. Countless wars between countries ravaged the land and even within the cities, humans manipulated and extorted one another in their struggle for supremacy. The gods understood that something had to be done, but in deciding how to deal with mankind, the gods too, became split.

'Order and discipline! We must guide them towards a society where all men are equal! We'll establish a hierarchy with laws so that none will be discriminated against and so that all can enjoy the bounties of the world.'

'Nonsense! Do you not see the hypocrisy behind your words? It's the very humans that have established a hierarchy that take advantage of those below them. They pass down their worthless titles and control through their bloodlines, ensuring that those in power remain in power forcing those without to cower in fear. What needs to guide the humans is freedom and strength; regardless of birthrights or upbringing, what should matter is personal merit. Those who have experienced hardships and those who have overcome it—they understand the plights of the weak the most. With their exceptional strengths, those truly outstanding individuals will serve as beacons for the rest of mankind to follow!'

'Are you a fool?! It's those very humans that become so corrupted with power that they abuse others in the first place. What is needed is order to ensure that all people are equally protected!'

Arguing between order and discipline, and freedom and strength, the gods began taking up sides, and before long, two sides had formed championing their respective beliefs. Only one god had not taken a side in this fight—Luminia of the Light.

As the one who had granted humanity its intelligence in the first place, Luminia now understood that the gift she had once bestowed upon humanity had been nothing more than a curse. Racked with the guilt of what she had done, she vowed to herself that she would save humanity. Still, it was the influence of the gods that had created this mess; she would not allow the gods to once more plague mortal life with their thoughtless actions, including her own.

With her newfound determination, Luminia travelled back to Akasha, the center of the universe and the origin of the gods themselves. Though the gods were immortal, they too, had once been granted the gift of life and what could be given could be taken back, or in this case, forced back. With her desire to save humanity from what she had done, Luminia extinguished her life, dissolving back into the abyss.

Years later, a human girl was born. Born to a relatively average household, the girl had no real remarkable traits, Kind and graceful, she was a normal little girl in every single way—and she was content. With her loving family and friends, she lived in a perfect world. At least, it was for a time.

Disaster had struck. Caught between the two sides of the conflict started by the gods, the girl's parents passed, leaving her orphaned. Suddenly alone in the world, the once happy young girl found herself passed from distant relative to distant relative, folks she hardly knew, and she was taken from the place she held most precious. With each household she passed through, the hopeful light that had once brilliantly illuminated her eyes grew dimmer and dimmer…

Just as she was about to lose all faith in the world, a strange man approached her. Though she was unfamiliar with the man, she'd felt a long missing sense of nostalgia. With a warm smile that reminded her all too much of home, he asked her a question.

'I was a friend of your father's. Would you perhaps like to come live with me and my family?'

With nothing to lose, she accepted and for the first time in forever, she began to feel hope again.

The man was just as caring as his initial impression had given him out to be while his wife was thrilled to treat the girl as one of her own and the other children of the household were happy to have a new older sibling. In time, even the cold, hard exterior the girl had formed moving from household to household began to crumble as she remembered who she had once been.

And she remembered everything.

Flooded with the memories and emotions of her past life, Lumina of the Light, the girl once more reaffirmed the promise she had made to herself back then. With her reawakened determination, this time, she would save humanity—and this time, she would save her family as well. This girl was named—"

" _-Bzzzt- Hikigaya Hachiman… Hikigaya Hachiman of class 1-J. Would you please come down to the teacher's office after clubs are over? I—… Hiratsuka-sensei would like to have a word with you. -Bzzzt-_ "

A voice from the intercom interrupted Hikigaya-kun's story. Judging by the voice, I was certain that it was Hiratsuka-sensei. No doubt Hikigaya-kun had done _something_ again, earning him another earful from our Japanese teacher. Nothing strange there. What was strange was the ghastly shade of white that had suddenly appeared on Hikigaya-kun's face.

"Hey, Hikki, keep going! You were just getting to the good part. What happens next?" Yuigahama, pestered.

"I agree. What a riveting tale! So heartbreaking, yet so moving! If you don't mind, could you keep going? I'd like to take some more notes—for reference, of course." Zaimokuza-san added, while furiously jotting away at a notebook.

Well, it's not like I didn't understand how they felt. From Zaimokuza-san, I got nothing but the incoherent ramblings of a barely functional story, but Hikigaya-kun's tale had managed to pique even my interest. How riveting.

"Uh… s-sorry. I'm really going to have to wrap it up there. At the very least, you more or less get what it's about right?"

" _Aww_ … Well, kinda, I guess… So it's basically like those make-believe stories you would act out with your friends when you were kids right? Only they still do it when they're older?"

"Huh? How the hell would I know about that sort of thing? Is that what kids do these days?"

"Hikki, we're the same age…"

"Yuigahama-san, it would be pointless to try and talk to Hikigaya-kun about anything regarding another person. He doesn't have friends, remember?"

" _Oi_. That… might be true, but I still have my adorable, loving, kind, and caring little sister, don't I?"

"Hikki, that's really gross…"

"Just ignore him. He's like a dog. Pay any attention to him over the slightest thing and he'll keep doing it."

"Wha—!"

"Anyways, Zaimokuza-san, you had a request? From what I can understand, you want us to cure you of your chuunibyou, right?"

Visibly startled by my address, Zaimokuza-san shot-up from where he had been jotting down his notes. Well?

"Ah, er, n-no, I am actually quite fine with it."

"Are you sure? I'll inform you right now, that _method_ of speaking is quite grating on the ears. I'm almost certain that if just fix that, any other issues you may have would certainly disappear as well."

"W-well it's like… a q-quirk—my character, you know? If I did not speak in this manner, I would have no identifying qualities of which to… w-well, to speak."

"Hmm… fine. What did you come here for then? State your request."

With this, he seemed to regain some of his previous vigor as he took on a grin all too similar to the irritating smirk Hikigaya-kun often wore these days. I certainly would have to be more careful with who I let him socialize with from now on.

"Heh-heh-heh… It is as I stated earlier! I seek comrades-in-arms to join me in the creation of a circle—to break the boundaries between mortals and gods—to ascend from a simple buyer to a creator!"

"Right… First things first, we'll have you take remedial Japanese courses. With Hiratsuka-sensei as our club advisor, and Hikigaya-kun and myself tutoring you, we should easily have that speech pattern of yours sorted out by the end of the month."

"Wait a minute," Hikigaya-kun interjected. "You're jumping to conclusions, Yukinoshita. Zaimokuza wasn't spouting delusions just then—well, most of it wasn't his usual garbage anyways."

"I don't get it," said Yuigahama. "How was that any different from before?"

"Circles, buyers, creators—they're… otaku terms," Hikigaya-kun sighed after a long pause. "Circles are gatherings of individuals who share an interest. Typically, they create fan-made works for series and sell them at events. Buyers are, as the name implies, fans who only buy. Creators, on the other hand, are the one who produce those works."

"Ha-ha-ha. As expected of my partner. No one else understands me as well as you do!" Zaimokuza-san laughed while shooting Hikigaya-kun a thumbs-up, the latter whom promptly returned the gesture with a scowl.

"So? What the hell are you trying to create a circle for?"

" _Oh?_ Have I managed to pique your interest? Well I, the Great Blade Master General Yoshiteru, have decided to make a game—more specifically a galge!"

"I see. Well you should start by giving up."

"Instant rejection?!"

"Geez… more otaku stuff? Hey, Hikki, what's a… gal-gay?"

" _Galge_. It's an abbreviation for the term 'girl game'. They're dating simulation games where the player will try and score points with a female character to date them. Often, there will be multiple female characters to choose from and successfully dating one requires you to carefully manage your character's time and parameters."

I more or less got the gist of it, but Hikigaya-kun's explanation only served to confuse Yuigahama even further. Still, unfortunately for Yuigahama, I couldn't just let Hikigaya-kun take the entire day explaining things to her, especially seeing as we had other matters to attend to.

"Hikigaya-kun, we are the service club. As long as someone needs our help, we take on their request."

"Yukinoshita, you shouldn't take anything this guy says seriously. You see his type all the time. They spout shit about how they're about to create the next biggest hit and how they know all the greatest authors, but they never accomplish anything themselves. Just last week, he was going on and on about how he was going to be a hit novelist and the week before that was nonsense about becoming a manga artist."

"T-that… that might be true, but I'm serious this time!"

Seeing as he had no chance with Hikigaya-kun, Zaimokuza-san quickly turned and lowered his head to me. "Please!"

Hikigaya-kun's words had planted a doubt within in. If what he had said was true, Zaimokuza-san would likely give up on this endeavor within the next couple of weeks as well. Still, he was here, earnestly asking for help, wasn't he?

"Hikigaya-kun, I believe I was clear when I said this, but the service club makes it a point to accept ALL requests."

 _!_

"T-T-THANK YOU SO MUCH!"

"Yukinoshita, are you serious?!… Whatever… You're the club president—do what you want, but I'd rather not be involved with this."

"…I may be the club president, but it was you who inspired me to do this. This club… no— _I_ need you, Hikigaya-kun!"

""Wha—!""

After all, the only two members of the club were currently Hikigaya-kun and myself, and while his dispassionate, unfriendly attitude was still the norm, glimpses of his once helpful and even admirable personality would occasionally shine through and I wasn't about to let it slip away. Besides—

"Unfortunately, I have very little knowledge of games or how they're made. As much as I'd like to assist Zaimokuza-san, I'm afraid it's outside my range of expertise. That's why I ask—would you possibly lend me your knowledge and strength?"

"You… Again with your misleading…"

Hmm? Misleading? I believe I was quite clear with my words though?

"Fine… Fine! I'll help since you're begging me Yukinoshita! So Zaimokuza—since I'm going through all this effort to help, you'd better make the best god damned galge Japan has ever seen!"

"H-Hachiman!" Zaimokuza-san cried, leaping at Hikigaya-kun.

A tug on my sleeve diverted my attention from the disgus…—heartwarming scene taking place before my eyes. Oh, it's just you Yuigahama-san. I suppose you have my thanks. So? What do you want?

"Yukinon… that was too sneaky. Even though you said you weren't interested—that's… that's not fair!" Grabbing her bag, she rushed to the door and threw it open.

"Eh? Yuigahama-san?" Wait a minute—there's a misunderstanding here. I'm not sure what it is, but there's absolutely some sort of misunderstanding here!

"I'll show you that I can be helpful too! And I definitely won't lose!" With that, Yuigahama slammed the door closed and took off.

"What was that about?" Hikigaya-kun asked, again having managed to pry the larger boy away from himself.

"I'm… honestly not sure I could explain it myself." I sighed. "Anyways, Zaimokuza-san."

"Y-yes?!"

"Again, the service club will accept your request. I went through all that effort to convince Hikigaya-kun to assist you, so do your best not to disappoint us, alright?"

"Yes, Yukinoshita-san… No—Master!"

M-master?! If we're going by the Japanese definition, then that would be someone accomplished, or a person of great skill. Certainly, I won't deny my own talents—humility can often be as detrimental as arrogance, but being called a master… Well, it certainly doesn't feel bad. But still, it wouldn't be right for students to be calling other students "master" at school in the presence of actual educational figures might—

"So Zaimokuza, where's your scenario? As smart as we are, unless Yukinoshita knows how to draw and code for a galge, you're probably going to have to find some other people eventually to help with those aspects of the game, but at the very least, we can go over your script for now and give you pointers."

"Sorry, I don't have one."

""…Huh?""

"Well, I mean, I just got this idea yesterday after all. You see, I was delivering some papers for the teacher yesterday when those damn normie bastards from class 1-J bumped into me and caused the papers to spill everywhere. Can you believe it? They just walked away like nothing happened! Not even a word of apology! They should be grateful that the power within my right hand is still sealed or I would have ended their fates right then and there, but I suppose that's a tale for another time. Anyways, as I allowed those fools to walk away, a goddess descended! Hair glowing from the afternoon light and a smile filled with kindness—she was the very visage of an angel! It was then I decided that I would carve her image into eternity with this!"

…

So, this is what Hikigaya-kun meant.

"Hikigaya-kun, I take it back. Feel free to punish this fool and remove him from our premise immediately."

"Already on it." Rushing Zaimokuza-san, Hikigaya-kun pulled him into a very familiar and very painful-looking headlock. "Give be back all of my effort and concern, you damned doujin-pimp!"

"W-wait!" Zaimokuza-san choked out while struggling. "Master, I swear, I'm serious this time! It's true—I might once have meandered from path to path, never accomplishing anything, but this time is different. That smile that she showed to me regardless of how unworthy as I was—I wish to share it with the rest of Japan—nay, the world! This is the only way I could ever pay her back! Please!"

This was ridiculous. Zaimokuza-san simply didn't know how to normally deal with these types of feelings. There were plenty of other methods we could have tried, all of which would greatly benefit his character as well. Yet…

I had seen those eyes before.

They were the eyes of someone asking for help.

" _Hah_ … Hikigaya-kun, let him go. Zaimokuza-san, I'll give you one week to prove yourself. While I believe that everyone should have the opportunity to be helped, without the will of the student, any effort on our part would ultimately be pointless. If you have at least an outline prepared for us to review by then, then I promise you that the service club will continue to assist you in the making of your game."

"Yes, master!"

⁂

And so, the following afternoon—

"It's no good. How could you possibly call this your own original work when it's swamped with clichés?"

"W-well, clichés are clichés because people continue to enjoy them, right?"

"Don't give me that sophistry! A violent, tsundere foreign exchange student who moves in with the protagonist, the baby-faced, but big breasted, innocent little sister-type, the tomboyish childhood friend with an unexpected cute side, the shy, glasses wearing classmate whose unexpectedly cute under her mask, and the teasing, assertive older sister-type who becomes shy in any real situation— _Hmm_ … Now I _wonder_ just what series these characters came from?"

"Urk—Stop! Though it's certainly true that at least five different series just came to mind then…"

"I have a question. Why do all of these girls fall for the main character? It would be one thing if he were handsome or rich, but from what I can tell, he's a below average student with no redeeming qualities whatsoever."

"T-that's… that's just how these kinds of games are, right Hachiman?!"

"Yukinoshita has a point. I'd be cursing this protagonist if he had it too good, but this guy is so lacking, don't you find him kind of pathetic?"

"S-self-insert type characters are what's popular these days!"

Strangely enough, contrary to how frequently she had been showing up lately, Yuigahama was no were to be seen. Instead, Zaimokuza-san had taken her place in the clubroom. Despite how ill-prepared he had been the day before, Zaimokuza-san had managed to prepare an outline of his work for us to go over today.

Well…

The quality of his writing certainly left much to be desired. As expected of a piece written in less than a day.

"Even with my limited knowledge of the genre, I doubt this would be very successful. Unfortunately, Zaimokuza-san, I'll have to ask you to take this back to the drawing board and come up with something else."

"But I stayed up all night writing that… I had to scour through all my light novels and games to pull enough material together…"

"So you admit to plagiarizing your entire script… Well, whatever. The faster you give up on this, the faster we can give up on this."

"No way! If… if I could only see the goddess one more time, I'm sure I'd be able to write something…"

 _*KNOCK* *KNOCK*_

"Yahallo!"

"Ah Yuigahama-san, so you came after all." Per usual, Yuigahama had already barged in before even awaiting a response, an act I had grown annoyingly accustomed to.

Isn't it common sense to wait for a response before entering? That's why we knock in the first place! If you were going to enter without waiting, why knock in the first place? In fact, why don't we just remove the door altogether in that case? Well, sensei?! Ah, but it looks like I'll have to save this for another time; it seems that Yuigahama has brought someone along with her.

It was a girl with short silver hair that seemed to glow in the afternoon light and soft, gentle features that seemed to radiate a sort of grace.

"My… goddess…"

Eh?

No way. What were the chances? Still, her features seemed to match up accurately with what Zaimokuza-san had described to us yesterday. Though she lacked in certain departments compared to Yuigahama, a pain I knew all too well, she would inarguably be classified as cute. In fact, her soft, feminine facial features might alone have pushed her above Yuigahama, but I suppose for men, those certain other aspects would weigh much more.

" _Ahem_ —Yuigahama-san, may I inquire who it is that you've brought along today?"

"Fu-fu-fu… Tada!" Yuigahama beamed with a confident smile. "This is Sai-chan from my class! They had something they wanted help with so I brought them here."

Hmm… We had already accepted the request from Zaimokuza-san. Should we really be accepting two requests at once with just the two of us? Still, the work required for Zaimokuza-san's request was relatively light for both Hikigaya-kun and I, and I had given Zaimokuza-san till the end of the week to give us something solid anyways. Sai-chan though, was it? No doubt, it was another one of Yuigahama's pet names.

"I can't guarantee that we'll be able to accept your request at the moment, but at the very least, we can hear you out. To start with, I'm Yukinoshita Yukino, the president of this club. Could I ask you to introduce yourself, miss?"

At my words, her face seemed to tense up and flush with red.

"I'm… I'm a guy!"

Hmm… a soft voice that complimented her features all too well. In my opinion, she was definitely cuter than Yuigahama. In fact, she might even give me a run for my money. Well, I say that, but I'm still confident in my own looks.

…

Wait.

"""HUH?"""

* * *

 **OMAKE I:**

"Hey, Hikigaya-kun."

"What?"

Normally, when clubs were over Hikigaya-kun would head straight home, while I took a short detour to the teacher's office to return the keys. Today though, Hikigaya-kun had once more been called by Hiratsuka-sensei after clubs. I had something I had wanted his help with so I decided to wait for him. Luckily, it seemed his talk with Hiratsuka-sensei had tired him out leaving him with little resistance, leading to the two of us currently walking through the empty hallways together.

"As I stated earlier, I'm unfamiliar with these 'gal-ges'. It's unfortunate, but I'll have to leave most of the work to you this time."

"So you're aware…"

"Still, as the club president, I can't just sit back and watch. That's why, would it be possible for you to help me pick up some materials so I could study?"

"…Eh? W-wait-wait-wait… You want to buy… a galge?"

"Yes. Is there a problem?"

"No-no-no-no—it's impossible. In the first place, galges aren't something you can play through over the course of a night, especially since we have school. Also, I don't play galges myself so there's no way I'd be able to recommend you anything."

"Hmm… Even so, I wish to be able to help."

"…Fine. I don't know how much this will help, but since you're so insistent on this, I suppose there's a couple of materials I could recommend…"

⁂

Being the closest one to the school, we stopped by the shopping district near my home. After a couple of minutes of walking around, we arrived at the location that Hikigaya-kun had requested—a bookstore.

"Ka… Ki… Ku… Ke… Ah, here. Take this." After reaching the "ko" section of the shelf, he slipped a book out and tossed it over to me.

"Metronome… In Love?"

"It's a light novel. As the name implies, they're probably much lighter than what you're used to reading, but that should work to our advantage in this case. Manga, anime, and light novels especially share pretty common concepts and themes with galges. If you want to get familiar with the subject, this is the fastest way to do it. There's five volumes, but just start with the first one for now."

"No, bring me all five."

"Eh? …Are you sure? Buying five books at once without knowing a thing about them? Do you even have time to read all these?"

"Have you already forgotten what you, yourself said? These books are much lighter than what I usually read. I'd easily be able to finish them in a night. They're relatively inexpensive as well. At six hundred yen per volume, three thousand yen would hardly put a dent in my budget. Besides, you recommended it, didn't you Hikigaya-kun? Unless you're telling me that you have no confidence in your taste."

"…Heh. I suppose I shouldn't have expected any less of you, Yukinoshita. Let me grab the rest of the series. Oh, and just promise me, but on the off chance you ever meet this author, please don't ever tell her that her story was so light, you finished it in one night."

As Hikigaya-kun searched the shelves for the rest of the series, I flipped the book over.

 _The book that started it all—Kasumi Utako's award winning, debut novel—a heart-pounding adolescence love-story._

"I'm surprised, Hikigaya-kun. Doesn't this book go against everything that you believe in?"

"…Is there something wrong with desiring something, even if it's a fake?"

…

Eh?

"Here's the rest of the series. If were done here, I'll be heading home. Oh, and if you plan on buying any more materials, tell me first. Most of this stuff is trash. I wouldn't want you getting a bad impression of the entire industry because you picked up something at random." And without another word, Hikigaya-kun briskly left the store.

Wait-wait-wait! What was that about?! You didn't even give me a chance to respond! In the first place, I was just poking fun at you as usual—a joke, a joke! Geez… if you go saying things like that, then I'll definitely force it out of you one day.

* * *

 **OMAKE II:**

"So, so? How's that? I know I wasn't very helpful with Zai… Zai… Chunni-kun's problem, so I looked super hard for someone who needed help!"

"Yuigahama-san, I appreciate your effort, but there really is no need for you to go to such lengths for us."

"What are you talking about Yukinon? I'm a part of this club too! That means I gotta pull my own weight, right?"

"…Yuigahama-san, you do know that you're not actually a member of this club, right?"

"…Eh?"

"Have… you never been in a club before? You need to fill out the appropriate forms and hand them in to the club advisor before you're considered a member of a club."

"EH?! Yukinon, you meanie! Why didn't you tell me earlier?!"

"I thought that this much was common sense… Besides, your attendance was irregular and you made no indication that you had wanted to join."

"I thought there was like a trial period or something! _Augh_ , where's those papers?! And is Hiratsuka-sensei still here?!"

Just as loud as she had come in, Yuigahama made a mad beeline towards the teacher's office.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **This chapter took much longer than most of us would have liked.**

 **I remember working on this chapter on my phone while waiting in line to purchase the Switch back in March. In other words, it took me three months to get this chapter out from when I had first begun working on it.**

 **Well admittedly, a lot of things happened. Zelda came out. Then Persona came out. Then I had finals. And I procrastinated on updating this story all the while.**

 **But no more! Summer is here and it is time to take up my pen (I pray)! I'm hoping to get the next chapter out within a couple of weeks which should wrap up this arc and from there on, I'll really be able to play around with how Yukinoshita's and Hikigaya's early meeting affected who they are.**

 **On a side note, there sure were a lot of doors that got forced open or slammed in this chapter. Despite how mature she acts, Yukinoshita just loves to make an entrance, doesn't she?**

 **Anyways, thanks for listening to my all my ramblings. I'm very grateful for the continuous support I receive on this series despite my absence and I hope you all have a wonderful day.**


End file.
